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Argentine prop Gastón Cortes is to Join Leicester Tigers. The Córdoba Athletic product will make the move from Bristol for the 2017-18 season. He does so having helped the West Country side win promotion to the English Premiership from the RFU Championship.
At Bristol, Cortes was a regular at tighthead. He played six seasons for the club but now he is to become a Tiger. He will have a compatriot at the club in former Jaguares loosehead Facundo Gigena.
Leicester are among the leading clubs in the world. In England no club has had greater success in winning national titles. Yet the club’s form this season saw it shockingly missing out on reaching the Semi Finals of the Premiership.
The recruitment of Cortes is part of rebuilding to have a stronger roster for the 2017-2018 campaign. Key to securing the signature of Cortes was Mark Bakewell, part of the staff led by Matt O’Connor. The forwards coach has previously worked with Cortes at Bristol and recommended Leicester sign him.
Cortes is a direct replacement for the outgoing Logovi’i Mulipola. The Samoan is moving to play for rivals Newcastle Falcons next season.
The former Puma makes the move to the English Midlands at the age of 32. Cortes has four caps for Argentina, earned in 2011 and 2012 in the South American Championship. His international appearances have seen him playing twice against both Chile and Uruguay.
