Powerful Tarucas Roster Named for Rookie Super Rugby Americas Season

A powerful roster has been named for Los Tarucas’ rookie Super Rugby Americas season. Playing out of Tucumán, Argentina, Los Tarucas are the newcomers in the South American professional league. The Tucumán side is one of three Argentine franchises for Super Rugby Americas 2025. Los Tarucas join Los Pampas (Buenos Aires) and 2024 champions Los Dogos (Córdoba).

Los Tarucas are coached by former Puma Álvaro Galindo. He makes the move from coaching Los Pumitas to taking charge of the new entry in Super Rugby Americas. Galindo is a former professional player himself. He played in France for Racing 92.

The inaugural Tarucas roster contains former Pumas hooker Diego Fortuny. His one test match was against South Africa in the 2018 Rugby Championship. Fortuny joins from the now forearm Super Rugby Americas team, the American Raptors. He also formerly played Major League Rugby (MLR) for the Houston SaberCats.

The roster also contains two Los Pumas 7’s players in Simón Benítez Cruz and Juan Manuel Molinuevo. Promising second-rower Luciano Asevedo is another notable inclusion. He briefly trained with Los Pumas during the 2024 Rugby Championship.

Simón Benítez Cruz and Juan Manuel Molinuevo have both been recruited from within Super Rugby Americas. Benítez Cruz played for Los Pampas last season and Molinuevo played for Yacare. Additional incoming players from league rivals include fly half Nicolás Roger (Selknam), flankers Facundo Cardozo (Dogos) and Facundo García Hamilton (Dogos), prop Francisco Moreno (Cobras) and hookers Tomás Bartolini (Dogos), Julián Martin (Yacare) and Diego Fortuny (Raptors).

 

TUCUMÁN – ARGENTINE RUGBY HOT BED

Los Tarucas will be based in Tucumán, a hot bed of Argentine rugby. Tucumán has no shortage of experience playing against touring teams. New Zealand played against Tucumán a part of the All Blacks’ 1991 tour. Tucumán hosted the touring France the following year. In more recent times, Tucumán faced South American countries such as Paraguay and Brazil.

The province of Tucumán has produced past Pumas including Pablo Garretón, Martín Terán, Santiago Mesón, Omar Hasan, Julio Farías Cabello, Lucas Noguera Paz, Nicolás Sánchez and José Núñez Piossek. Sánchez is Argentina’s all-time top point scorer, World Cup record point scorer and the second Puma to reach 100 test caps.

Contemporary Pumas can also be identified from Tucumán. Loose head prop Thomas Gallo is from the Universitario. Scrum-half Gonzalo García  is from Club Natación y Gimnasia. Winger Mateo Carreras is from Los Tarcos. Center Matías Orlando is from Huirapuca and fly half Tomás Albornoz is from Tucumán Rugby Club.

 

TARUCAS JERSEYS – SUPER RUGBY AMERICAS 2025

Los Tarucas will play in orange, the traditional colors of Los Naranjas, the provincial selection. Tarucas is a deer species native to the Andes Mountains. It is an emblem of Northeast Argentina. Tarucas translate into deer in Quechua and Aymara.

The new team will play home games at Tucumán Lawn Tennis at Parque 9 de Julio in Tucumán and do so in orange rugby uniforms. The home and alternate playing jerseys are displayed below.

 

TARUCAS ROSTER – SUPER RUGBY AMERICAS 2025

PROP
Benjamín Garrido
Agustín Iglesias
Francisco Moreno
Rodrigo Navarro
Lautaro Fanlo

HOOKER
Tomás Bartolini
Diego Fortuny
Julián Martin
Juan Manuel Vivas

SECOND-ROW
Luciano Asevedo
Genaro Laborde
Mariano Perondi

FLANKER
Santiago Aguilar
Facundo Cardozo
Facundo García Hamilton
Santiago Romano
Thiago Sbrocco
Agustín Sarelli

N8
Joaquín Aguilar
Bruno Gómez
Miguel Mukdise

SCRUM-HALF
Simón Benítez Cruz
Estanislao Pregot
Santiago Saleme

FLY HALF
José Gianotti
Nicolás Roger

CENTER
Bautista Estofan
Stefano Ferro
Mariano García Ascarate
Tomás Medina

WING
Ignacio Cerrutti
Baltazar García
Tomás Vanni

FULLBACK
Nicolás Macome
Juan Manuel Molinuevo