Bath have prised Santiago Carreras away from West Country rivals Gloucester by signing the Argentina international on a three-year deal.
The 26-year-old will join the club this summer ahead of the 2025/26 season to strengthen Bath’s options at fly-half and full-back.
The utility back is the third signing for Bath in as many days after it was announced that hooker Dan Frost and scrum-half Bernard van der Linde had penned deals with the club.
As we revealed last week, Bath fought off a last-minute bid from Saracens to land the world-class operator who brings both versatility and experience, having made his Test debut in 2019 and won 53 caps for Los Pumas.
Carreras represented Argentina at two World Cups, in 2019 and 2023, and was the starting 15 when Argentina beat New Zealand for the first time in their history.
Since joining the Cherry and Whites from Jaguares in 2020, Carreras has scored 256 Premiership points including 21 tries, and was voted Coaches’ Player of the Season 2022/23.
On starting his journey with the Blue, Black and White, Carreras said: “I moved to the UK in 2020 in the middle of a pandemic, and I’m hugely grateful to be continuing my journey here. I’m excited about contributing to Bath over the course of the next few seasons. I want to push myself to keep improving as a player and to help the club win trophies and titles.
“Having spoken to Johann, the club is in a really exciting phase, with world-class players, coaches and the development of a new stadium. I am looking forward to the challenges ahead.”
Bath’s Head of Rugby Johann van Graan said: “Santi is a starting Test player and one of the main reasons for signing him is his versatility along with his game-winning abilities. I am really looking forward to working with Santi and realise his dream of becoming the best player he can be. Family is very important to both me and Santi, and I believe he will fit in incredibly well in our family-first environment.”
Only a handful of Argentinians have worn Bath colours previously, most notably controversial hooker Freddie Mendez back in the late 1990s. Lock Germán Llanes played in the same era and made little impression. Fellow lock Ignacio Fernández Lobbe had a brief spell at the club in 2011/12 but is best known for his achievements at Sale, while loose-head prop Lucas Noguera Paz was another who went under the radar.
Of the more recent examples, powerfully built winger Horacio Agulla fared well. Agulla joined from Leicester in 2012 and spent four seasons at The Rec, scoring 23 tries in 67 appearances, to become something of a fan favourite.
