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In a major coup for the Italian URC side, Benetton have signed England prospect Jacob Umaga. Umaga has signed a deal that will see him play with the Treviso-based side until 2024.
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Umaga, the son of ex-Samoa star Mike and nephew of former All Black Tana, was made redundant when Gallagher Premiership side Wasps went into administration last month.
The 24-year-old, who also plays full-back, regularly featured for Yorkshire Carnegie following a spell with Auckland in New Zealand where he was part of the side that won the Mitre 10 Cup in 2018.
The youngster, who has represented England Under 18s and 20s, also had a previous stint with Leicester Tigers.
“The injuries occurred to Marin and Da Re forced us to return to the market to identify a profile of depth that could be right for us,” explained Benetton boss Antonio Pavanello. “So we tried to take advantage of the opportunity to find an international level profile like Umaga. Jacob is a player with remarkable technical skills, able to attack the opponent’s defensive line and with an excellent foot. Tomorrow he will already be in Treviso and so we hope to see him on the field soon.”
Umaga is looking forward to new job in a new league.
“This is a great rugby and life opportunity for my girlfriend and me. We will live in a beautiful part of the world being able to play in a first class club. It is also an opportunity for me to start over with a new club and face a new challenge with new teammates and I am looking forward to it.
“There were several reasons that led me to make this decision, among them: the fact that I will play in the URC with a team made up of excellent players with great potential and that I will find Andrea Masi who trained me at the Wasps in the academy. In addition, the presence in the team of some players with whom I played together with the wasps helped me make this decision. I arrive in Treviso with the aim of putting the team in the best possible position in the league.”
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