Benetton have signed Thomas Gallo. The Italian side have secured the services of the 2020 Pumitas prop for the 2020-2021 Pro 14 season. The loose head prop from Tucumán officially joins the team weeks after Ivan Nemer was signed from Mar del Plata.
The arrival of Gallo sees Benetton’s Argentine contingent rising to five players. In addition to props Gallo and Nemer, Benetton is also home to Argentine hooker Tomás Baravalle, and centers Juan Ignacio Brex and Joaquin Riera.
Talks between Benetton and Gallo began earlier this year. Gallo was recruited by Paraguayan side the Olímpia Lions for the Súper Liga Americana de Rugby. In other words, the Italian side has been interested in the 21-year-old for quite some time.
Gallo is eligible to play for Italy. He qualifies on family ancestry and carries an Italian passport. Like the other Argentine players at the club, Gallo was a Pumita. Baravalle and Brex also played for the Argentina XV. The latter subsequently played Sevens for Italy and is now captured by Italy.
The young Gallo comes from the rugby heartland of Tucumán. His try against France in the 2019 Junior World Championship was a global hit on social media.