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Bayonne will be home to two more Pumas next season. The Top 14 club has signed two forwards from Brive. Rodrigo Bruni and Lucas Paulos join Bayonne following Brive’s relegation to the Pro D2.
Details of both players’ contracts will be made public shortly. Bruni has signed a two-year-deal with Bayonne. Paulos had also been in negotiations with Castres. Both players have been playing in France since 2020. They were part of the Argentine exodus from Los Jaguares in Super Rugby.
Bruni, a N8, moved from Argentina to Vannes in late 2020. He played in the Pro D2 until joining Brive in mid 2022. Injury limited Bruni’s game-time with Brive. The 29-year-old has 18 caps for Argentina. He debuted against Ireland in 2018 and started in the win over New Zealand in 2020.
Paulos has 10 caps for Los Pumas. The 25-year-old debuted against the All Blacks in 2020. He featured in two of Argentina’s 2022 win. They were against England, and Scotland. He had a very busy season with Brive. He arrived at Brive in 2020 and will join Bayonne for the 2023-2024 season.
Further player transfers are certain in the coming weeks and months. Former Pumas center Lucas Mensa will move from the Pro D2 to the Top 14. He will play for Oyonnax while Bruni and Paulos join Argentine hooker Facundo Bosch and Uruguayan Manuel Leindekar a Bayonne.
Both Bruni and Paulos are on the radar for Pumas selection for Rugby World Cup 2023. They were involved in Michael Cheika’s 40-man training camp in Paris in March.
