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The Highlanders have signed Martín Bogado on a two-year-deal. The outside back will play Super Rugby for the southern most New Zealand franchise in 2023 and 2024. He will join the Dunedin-based team in early 2023. He is presently contracted to Bayonne in the Top 14.
Bogado is a product of Club Centro de Cazadores de Misiones. He subsequently played for Jockey de Cordoba. The clubs provided the platform from which he went in to Argentina’s High Performance academy system. This past July he started for the Argentina XV in wins over Georgia and Portugal.
His pathway from club rugby to playing against European test teams had the important step of playing professional rugby in South America. Bogado played for Paraguayan side the Olímpia Lions in the 2021 Súper Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR) and for Argentine side Los Jaguares XV in SLAR 2022.
Bogado was a regular at fullback with Puma Ignacio Mendy playing on the wing and fellow Argentina XV player Gerónimo Prisciantelli playing fly half. Mendy is now playing in the United Rugby Championship (URC) for Benetton while Prisciantelli is joining Zebre. Both players and Bogado are possible names for Los Pumas.
Argentina’s roster for the November Internationals contained two fullbacks. Juan Cruz Mallía played every match with the other name being Martín Bogado. The roster also contained Emiliano Boffelli, Mateo Carreras, Bautista Delguy and Juan Imhoff as wingers.
Bogado will be the only Argentine at the Highlanders. South Island rivals the Crusaders were home to Pablo Matera for the 2022 season. Matera was a Super Rugby champion with the Christchurch-based franchise. Bogado will not be playing against Matera due to the 91-time capped Puma continuing his career in Japan. Argentine Santiago Medrano will be playing Super Rugby for the Western Force.
