Connacht 'thrilled' to sign Santiago Cordero

Irish United Rugby Championship (URC) side Connacht has secured the signing of Santiago Cordero, one of the most exciting back three players in world rugby.

Cordero joins the Westerners from French club Bordeaux Begles, where he scored 29 tries in 67 appearances across four seasons.

Cordero's impressive record also includes two seasons with the Exeter Chiefs, where he scored 10 tries in 33 appearances. He was named the Gallagher Premiership Player of the Month and was a nominee for the RPA Player of the Year award in 2019.

“Santiago’s arrival is a real statement of intent by the club and I’m absolutely thrilled he has chosen to progress his career with us," Connacht Rugby Head Coach Pete Wilkins. "He is a genuine world class talent with a wealth of experience at the highest level, and being in the prime of his career he will no doubt make an immediate impact.

"Having got to know Santiago during the recruitment process, it’s also clear he is also a brilliant bloke who will bring energy and character to the club, both on and off the field. I know our supporters will be very excited by this news, and like them I look forward to seeing Santiago wearing the green of Connacht for the next two years.”

With 45 international appearances for Argentina, Cordero has proven his skills on the world stage. His performance at the 2015 Rugby World Cup helped his country to a fourth-place finish in the tournament. During the tournament, he beat 31 defenders, the most of any player, and ranked second in clean breaks and third in metres run.

Cordero is excited to play for the club on the Atlantic coast of Ireland, which he visited recently.

“I’m very excited to be part of Connacht Rugby from next season," said Cordero. "I can’t wait to move there and meet all the boys and people, and live the life of a Connacht player.

"I visited Connacht recently for a few days, and I thought Galway was a beautiful place and I can’t wait to play my rugby there. I had a lot of good chats with Pete Wilkins, Tim Allnutt and Jack Carty, and they are sure I can play my best rugby in Connacht. It’s a great team and when picking my next club I was sure Connacht was the right one. Connacht love to play rugby the right way from everywhere on the pitch and they’re always in attack mode, and that’s what I like.”