Houston SaberCats & Santiago Arata

The Houston SaberCats have signed Uruguay National team scrumhalf Santiago Arata for the 2019 Major League Rugby season. The Montevideo, Uruguay native is 22-years-old, 5’7″, and 171 pounds.

Arata went to Lycee Francais Jules Supervielle School through high school and played his club rugby with the Old Christians.

Arata came up through the Uruguay age-grade system, playing for the Under-17s in 2013, the Under-19s in 2014, and the Under-20s in 2015 and 2016. While with the U20s, he played in two consecutive World Rugby Trophy competitions for Uruguay.

Arata also played for Uruguay A in the 2017 and 2018 Americas Pacific Challenge. He has earned 30 caps and scored seven tries while playing for the Senior National Team from 2016 to the present. He played in three Nations Cups, three South American Championship, and three Americas Rugby Championships from 2016-2018. He will be posied to earn more caps for the National team as he tours again in November.

Arata is one of six under the radar players who could star at the 2019Rugby World Cup according to The Rugby Paper. Arata has 30 caps for Uruguay and debuted for Los Teros on February 10, 2016, against Canada in Langford in the Americas Rugby Championship. He also helped the team in qualifying for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan after beating Canada by an aggregate margin.

Major League Rugby was able to observe his attacking style of play first hand when the Houston SaberCats hosted the Uruguay National team ahead of their first RWC qualifier in Canada.

World Rugby 2018 Americas Pacific Challenge Video

Santiago Arata with a crucial score for Uruguay A against the USA Rugby Selects in the World Rugby 2018 Americas Pacific Challenge.

Houston SaberCats Comments

Santiago Arata said upon signing with the SaberCats that “I am delighted to be joining Houston for next season. Coming to the USA and being part of the MLR was an opportunity that I could not turn down. I am particularly excited to be working with Justin Fitzpatrick and I am looking forward to bringing as much success as possible to the club.”