Rugby ATL has signed Argentina international sevens and XVs center/wing Bautista Ezcurra through the 2022 Major League Rugby season. The 25-year-old is 5’11” and 200 lbs.
The Buenos Aires, Argentina native signing was announced by ESPN and then to the U.S. market by Americas Rugby News.
Bautista played club rugby for Hindú and played for the Argentina U20s at the World Rugby Championship in 2014-15, making ten appearances. He played rugby sevens for Argentina in 2015-2016 in the World Sevens Series and was selected to Team Argentina for the Olympics in Rio.
Following the Olympics, he concentrated on XVs and played with the Jaguares in Super Rugby from 2017-2019, making 21 appearances. He also played for Argentina making his Pumas debut in 2018 against Scotland with his last of his 5 tests against New Zealand later that year. He also played for the Barbarians.
In 2020 he returned to the Argentina Sevens team in preparation to contend to the Olympics. When a trial position became available with the English Premier team the Harlequins, he left for London, but the trial was affected by the COVID-19 shutdown.
He is expected to arrive at Rugby ATL in December ahead of the 2021 MLR season. It was felt that the team would be looking for a U.S. Collegiate center in the draft to complement starters Ryan Nell and Jeremy Misailegalu. With Harley Wheeler pursuing a U.S. Sevens Residency to contend for the Olympics, Bautista could factor at the center or at wing and if needed, at flyhalf.
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