Jacob Umaga commits future to URC club amidst greatest-ever league start

Former Wasps and England playmaker Jacob Umaga has re-signed for Italian side Benetton Rugby on a two-year deal that will keep him at the club until 2026.

His transition from English Premiership rugby to URC duties with Benetton has arguably been a revelation for the young fly-half, with Umaga having scored 162 points in just 26 appearances. Since arriving in Italy, his undeniable talents have helped his team to second place in the table in the greatest start in the club’s history.

During a recent interview with Benetton teammate, Andy Uren, the 27-year-old scrum half explained to RugbyDump that Umaga “knows how he wants to play the game”  and felt that whilst he was an impressive player at Wasps, Umaga has matured into a more developed player since arriving at Benetton. The nephew of All-Black legend Tana Umaga is now taking on leadership roles that he would perhaps not have done so a couple of years ago.

“I am very happy to have extended my contract with Benetton Rugby” said Umaga following the announcement. “I feel the club will have a great future and it’s getting stronger and stronger. We have a great team, which also made my decision easy. Thanks to the fans for the support they have given us so far, we appreciate it very much and we hope it will remain so for the rest of the season,” 

 

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Benetton’s general manager Antonio Pavanello, added: “Jacob’s renewal is very important news for the club. In this, his first season and a half in Treviso, Umaga has proven his worth on the pitch. A player with remarkable technical skills, able to attack the opponent’s defensive line incisively and also equipped with an excellent foot; This last quality is also fundamental in terms of realization. All this has allowed us to create a healthy competition with the other teammates, an ambitious condition that we intend to achieve on all roles by having 2-3 figures of depth for each of them. By doing so, we raise the quality of training and at the same time keep the squad highly competitive throughout the season, managing to cope with possible absences due to injury.”