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Argentine scrum-half Lautaro Bazán Vélez has joined Benetton. The 28-year-old will make the move from Rovigo in the Serie A to Benetton in the United Rugby Championship (URC). It comes on the back of a busy season wherein Bazán Vélez started for Argentina against South Africa, played at the World Cup and was a regular with Rovigo.
Bazán Vélez’s contract with Benetton is from July 01, 2024 to June 30, 2025. It comes with an option of a contract extension for an additional year. As noted, Benetton is his second Italian club. He played for Rovigo from 2022-2024.
Benetton referred to Bazán Vélez as:
He is a scrum-half in the midst of developing his career. He has impressive speed, an excellent kicking game and constant precision when passing.
Bazán Vélez is a product of Córdoba Athletic. He went through the Argentine development system, playing Argentina 7’s at the Youth Olympics and winning Silver in 2014. He won Gold at the 2019 Pan American Games and Bronze at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. He competed at the Olympic Games alongside fellow Benetton player Ignacio Mendy.
He made the step-up from Los Pumas 7’s to Los Pumas under the command of Michael Cheika. He earned his test debut against Scotland in Santiago del Estero in 2022. His pathway to the top saw him playing for Argentina u20 and the Argentina XV in addition to Lo Pumas 7’s.
The scrum half was the regular replacement option under Cheika in 2023. At the World Cup he was the replacement against England in Marseilles, against Chile and Japan in Nantes as well as in the Quarter Final win over Wales, the Semi Final loss against New Zealand and in the Bronze Final.
The Bronze Final saw Bazán Vélez earning his 13th test cap for Argentina. He is on the roster for the July Internationals. Los Pumas will face France twice at home and travel across the Rio de la Plata to face Uruguay.
Bazán Vélez will be joined on the July roster by Benetton players Bautista Bernasconi, Thomas Gallo, Tomás Albornoz,and Ignacio Mendy. They will also all be in consideration for the 2024 Rugby Championship.
The Argentine legion at Benetton includes four others. Iván Nemer and Juan Ignacio Brex are both capped by Italy. Both are Argentine born and homegrown. Uncapped center Joaquín Riera is also Argentine. The injured Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro is the most capped Pumas prop in history. He may be back for Los Pumas for the Rugby Championship.
Meanwhile, both Italian elite teams are now home to Pumas scrum-halves: Lautaro Bazán Vélez at Benetton and Gonzalo García at Zebre Parma. This also enables the possibility of a 9-10 match-up in the UC between the two Italian sides with Tomás Albornoz and Gerónimo Prisciantelli.
