Canterbury Rugby Club have this week completed the signing of Juan Del Val from the Pucara club in Buenos Aires.

The 28-year-old centre has played top-flight club rugby in Argentina for the past six seasons and represented the Buenos Aires regional side at under-19 and under-23 level.

The club are hoping to include Del Val in the squad which travels to meet Southend in National 2 South on Saturday, but are awaiting international clearance from the Argentina Rugby Union.

Canterbury spokesman David Haigh said: “We have been looking for an experienced centre for some time and Juan’s decision to come and play in Europe could not have come at a more opportune moment for us.”

Del Val, a graduate of Buenos Aires University where he studied graphic design, has dual Argentinian and Italian nationality.

Canterbury will be bolstered by the return from injury of front row men Matt Pinnick and Tom Rogers for this weekend's game as they look to bounce back from last weekend's 57-22 defeat at Worthing.