The Newcastle Red Bulls have unveiled the signing of a Puma. Benjamín Elizalde will join the club mid-year, doing so from the Bristol Bears after completing his second season in the English Premiership with the West Country.
The 21-year-old is a utility back. His specialist position is fullback but he covers both outside center and wing. He has had game time in all three positions at the elite level.
Elizalde joined the Bristol Bears from Argentina following the Super Rugby Americas (SRA) 2025 season. He time at the Bristol Bears has seen him scoring 5 tries in 27 matches for the club.
His move north to the Newcastle Red Bulls comes months after the club secured Franco Molina for next season. Molina’s move will come in the form of a return to the English Premiership. He is presently playing Super Rugby for the Western Force.
The Newcastle Red Bulls also have Pumas scrum-half Simón Benítez Cruz on their roster. Benítez Cruz joined the club from Los Tarucas in SRA. Elizalde played SRA for Los Pampas while Molina did so for Los Dogos and captained the Córdoba side to SRA glory. In addition, prop Eduardo Bello is a Newcastle player. He continues his recovery from a serious injury suffered against Australia in the 2024 Rugby Championship.
Elizalde is 188cm (6ft 2) tall and weighs 93kg (205 lbs). He is a product of Tigers RC in Salta province in Northern Argentina. He went through Argentina’s High Performance system. This also saw hm playing for Juan Martin Hernández and Rodrigo Roncero’s home club of Deportiva Francesa in Buenos Aires.