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Santiago Socino’s name was absent from Los Jaguares XV’s roster for the Súper Liga Americana de Rugby. The reason is that he will be continuing his career abroad. The Pumas hooker will be returning to Europe. His destination may be French Top 14 club Bayonne.
The 28-year-old has been a professional rugby player since 2013. He moved to England at the age of 21 and to English Premiership side the Newcastle Falcons in 2015. He returned to Argentina in 2019 to join Los Jaguares.
The move saw him rewarded with international honors. Santiago Socino made his test debut against Australia in the 2019 Rugby Championship. This saw him matching his brother, Juan Pablo Socino who debuted for Argentina in 2015 and won two caps at RWC 2015. Santiago Socino went to RWC 2019, albeit he did not receive game time. He received three caps as a replacement in the 2020 Tri Nations.
Santiago Socino converted from flanker to hooker while playing in England. Former Pumas captain Agustín Creevy also converted from flanker to hooker in his 20’s. Both men and Montoya have departed Los Jaguares this year.
Bayonne is already home to one Pumas forward. Mariano Galarza joined the team in 2019 from Bordeaux. Additional Pumas who hav played for Bayonne include Martín Bustos Moyano, Nicolás Fernández Miranda, Santiago Fernández, Juan Pablo Orlandi, Benjamin Macome, and José Maria Núñez Piossek.
Alternatively, Socino’s European destination could be the English Premiership. A return to the UK has also emerged. It would not be back to Newcastle, but to the West Country. Gloucester are also interested in Socino. The club signed Matías Alemanno and Santiago Carreras from Los Jaguares in 2019.
