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In a spectacular signing, the Miami Sharks have landed Matías Orlando. El Tucumano joins the Major League Rugby (MLR) franchise for the remainder of MLR 2024. The move sees him joining the Sharks from English Premiership side the Newcastle Falcons.
Orlando joined the Newcastle Falcons in 2020. The move came after Super Rugby 2020 as prematurely ended. Los Jaguares’ players sought new opportunities elsewhere. The player exodus resulted in many moves. For instance, Orlando and fellow Jaguares mid-fielder Matías Moroni played together at the Falcons.
Usually an outside center, Orlando can also play inside center and has test caps on the wing. He earned the first of his 58 test caps against Uruguay in 2012. Seven years on he was starting for Los Pumas at the World Cup in Japan.
Now aged 32, Orlando will play professional rugby in a third league. He takes with him not only experience but success against the very best. Orlando started at outside center in Argentina’s history-making win over New Zealand in 2020. He did it again at 2022, only this time it was at inside center and away against the All Blacks in Christchurch.
The club is home to eleven other South Americans. They include Pumas scrum-half Tomás Cubelli. Other Argentines at the club are Benjamín Bonasso, Tomás Casares, Nicolás Elewaut, Marcos Young and Matías Freyre.
Chilean Santiago Videla is also at the club as are Uruguayans Tomás Inciarte, Felipe Etcheverry, Reinaldo Piussi and Manuel Ardao. Needless to say, Orlando will fit in well.
