NEW arrival Pedro Rubiolo says Newcastle Falcons’ Argentinian contingent will help him settle into his surroundings, having landed on Tyneside over the weekend.

The 20-year-old back-five forward joins countrymen Matias Orlando, Matias Morini and Mateo Carreras at Kingston Park, and the trio have been on hand to ensure a smooth transition.

“I am really happy to join Newcastle Falcons, a club which I know has a lot of history, and having a good base of players I know from Argentina was also very helpful when I was making my decision,” said Rubiolo, who made his international debut away to South Africa in September.

“It was nice to land in Newcastle on New Year’s Day and have Mateo Carreras waiting for me at the airport.

“The guys brought me in on Monday for my first day at training, and with me not speaking very good English yet they have been doing a lot of translating, such as Matias Moroni translating this interview!

“They will be a massive help especially during the next few weeks, translating things in meetings and on the field, but I will also be working hard to improve my English.

“Luckily with the position I play on the field a lot of it is just about carrying the ball hard and running forwards, and you don’t need to know the language to do that.”

Asked about the strengths of his game and what has drawn him to Newcastle, he added: “I am going to bring physicality, both in attack and defence, and I would say that’s my main asset.

“In terms of the move, I was looking to take a step up in my career and to play professional club rugby. In Argentina it’s a good tournament which I enjoyed, but I wanted to take it to the next level.

“I have been watching Newcastle’s games over the past few weeks since I knew I was coming to the club, and I like the way they play. Hopefully I can help the club to achieve some good results during my time here, and I am excited to get started.”

Leaving his homeland at the height of summer and with the nation still celebrating the success of its national football team, Rubiolo said: “It has been a mad few weeks back home with Argentina winning the World Cup.

“There have been a lot of celebrations and people are really happy, and we all enjoyed watching the tournament.

“It’s great to be in Newcastle now though to begin this new challenge, and even though the weather is a little colder than back home I know I will get used to it!”

Newcastle Falcons’ next game is on Saturday, when Gallagher Premiership champions Leicester Tigers visit Kingston Park (2pm).