Top 14-chasing Beziers sign Uruguayan Olympian

Pro D2 outfit Beziers have signed Uruguay full-back Baltazar Amaya ahead of next season on a two-year deal.

The 25-year-old is set to move to France from CA Penarol in his native Uruguay.

The move will see the 13-cap international continue his progress in the 15-man format of the game having helped Uruguay to an eleventh-place finish in sevens at the Paris Olympic Games last year.

Prior to his Olympic dalliance, Amaya started at full-back in the 28-43 loss to France in Montevideo last July, months after starting in the same position against Les Bleus at the World Cup.

Amaya actually scored against Fabien Galthie’s side in that tight 27-12 World Cup defeat in Lille in September 2023.

He returned to Test rugby at the end of last year, injuring himself in a 33-24 loss to Spain in Madrid in November.

With Beziers currently sitting in fifth place in France’s second division with three rounds of the regular season remaining, they will qualify for the play-offs as it stands, meaning Amaya could be playing in the Top 14 next season if his future team-mates have a strong end to the season.

After signing, Amaya said: “I am very happy to join Béziers to give the best of myself for the club and very motivated by the idea of taking on this new challenge.”

The Uruguayan had previously been linked with a move to join Top 14 strugglers Vannes at the beginning of the season, though such a move did not materialise.