The dangerous runner burst onto the scene during a fantastic 2021
Who is Marcos Moneta: Ten things you should know about the Argentina Sevens back
Marcos Moneta is a rising sevens icon.
The Argentine, whose pace and skill make him a devastating attacking threat, was named the world’s best player in 2021.
Ten things you should know about Marcos Moneta
1. Marcos Moneta was born on 7 March 2000 in Buenos Aires. He stands at 6ft 1in (1.85cm) and weighs 11st 11lb (75kg).
2. He played for Argentina at the 2018 Youth Olympics as his nation won gold after defeating France in the final.
Moneta played at the Youth Olympics in 2018 (Getty Images)
3. He made his debut for Argentina’s senior sevens side in 2018, aged only 20. However, Argentina did not achieve a single top-three finish during his first World Sevens Series.
4. He was the top men’s scorer at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, scoring six tries as Argentina won bronze.
5. Moneta reached a speed of 24mph during Argentina’s quarter-final victory over South Africa in Tokyo, demonstrating why he has earned the nickname El Rayo (Lightning).
6. In that same Olympic encounter with the Blitzboks, Argentina played the majority of the match with six men and ended it with five, but Moneta’s two tries helped Los Pumas to a famous 19-14 win.
7. He was named World Rugby Men’s Sevens Player of the Year in 2021, becoming the first Argentine to win the accolade.
8. His outstanding form won him a call-up to Argentina’s XVs squad for The Rugby Championship 2021. He was then in line to start on the wing for the Barbarians against Samoa the following November, but the game was cancelled due to a Covid-19 outbreak.
9. The individual trophies were relentless in 2021, as Moneta became the first sevens player to win the Olimpia de Plata for rugby – an annual award given to the best Argentine player.
?Medalla de bronce en Tokio
1⃣Mejor jugador de seven del mundo
?Arriba de todos los podios del año con @lospumas7arg
?Primera convocatoria a @lospumas
?Formó parte de los @Barbarian_FC¡Felicitaciones Marcos Moneta, Olimpia de Plata 2021 en rugby! pic.twitter.com/Gk2i16bUUp
— Unión Argentina de Rugby (@unionargentina) December 15, 2021
10. He scored 14 tries in his first four tournaments of the 2021/22 World Sevens Series and helped Argentina to three top-three finishes.
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