The opening ceremony isn’t until Friday, but the Men’s Rugby Sevens tournament at the Paris Olympics kicks off on Wednesday. Representing the Americas are three of the 12 entries – Argentina, Uruguay, and the USA. Of those the betting favorite to medal is Los Pumas, but the Eagles are a veteran outfit and Los Teros have the ability to cause an upset.
Santiago Alvarez leads Argentina, who finished first overall on this year’s circuit but settled for second in the winner-take-all Madrid tourney under the new series format. He is one of three Pumas who return for a third Olympic games along with Gastón Revol and Germán Schulz.
Last year’s World Rugby 7s Player of the Year Rodrigo Isgró is named as an alternate due to a suspension that leaves him ineligible for the pool stage. If called upon it would be the second Olympic Games for Isgró. Matías Osadczuk, Luciano González, and Marcos Moneta were also part of the squad that finished as Bronze winners in Tokyo three years ago.
With Canada falling short of qualification, the USA will be flying the flag for North America. The Eagles were 9th overall on this year’s circuit and dropped out in the Quarter Finals at Tokyo. Kevon Williams captains the squad in his second Olympic Games, one of five players who were in the 2021 squad.
It’s the second Olympics for Matai Leuta, Stephen Tomasin, and Maka Unufe, and the third for Madison Hughes and Perry Baker. Unufe was on the Rio 2016 roster but missed out on Tokyo with injury. Top lineout forward Joe Schroeder was poised to make his second Olympics but was ruled out with injury, with Leuta recalled in his place.
Uruguay were not part of the 2023-24 Sevens Series, instead dropping to the Challenger circuit, but did earn their spot for next season with a successful Madrid event. This is their first Olympic Games, qualifying as South American representatives after Argentina sealed their spot with a top-four finish on the 2022-23 circuit.
Diego Ardao captains with veteran playmaker Guillermo Lijtenstein helping with on-field leadership. Much of the squad has also represented their country in test rugby. James McCubbin is something of a sevens specialist while Bautista Basso, Felipe Arcos Pérez, and Mateo Viñals are also experienced campaigners in the shortened code.
Madrid champions France will be among the tournament favorites with global star Antoine Dupont part of the home squad. Sevens great Jerry Tuwai headlines a potent Fiji lineup, New Zealand will be led by stalwart forwards Dylan Collier and Scott Curry, and former LA Giltinis flanker Harry McNulty captains overall circuit runners-up Ireland.
The tournament begins at 3:30pm local time on Wednesday, 10:30am Eastern, 7:30am Pacific. Pool play takes place over two days with the medal finals on Friday. A complete schedule can be seen here.
## | PLAYER | HGT | WGT | DOB | CAPS* |
* – World Sevens Series tournaments
ARGENTINA
Head Coach: Santiago Gómez Cora
1 | Joaquín Pellandini | 1.72 5-8 |
72 160 |
1999-05-27 | 19 |
2 | Tomás Elizaldze | 1.82 6-0 |
90 200 |
2002-11-18 | 14 |
3 | Germán Schulz | 1.88 6-2 |
95 210 |
1994-02-05 | 70 |
4 | Matteo Graziano | 1.95 6-5 |
105 230 |
2001-07-21 | 21 |
5 | Agustín Fraga | 1.93 6-4 |
98 215 |
2002-03-06 | 25 |
6 | Santiago Álvarez (capt.) | 1.88 6-2 |
93 205 |
1994-02-17 | 63 |
7 | Tobias Wade | 1.83 6-0 |
82 180 |
1999-08-06 | 22 |
8 | Gastón Revol | 1.70 5-7 |
76 165 |
1986-11-26 | 106 |
9 | Matías Osadczuk | 1.91 6-3 |
96 210 |
1997-04-22 | 42 |
10 | Santiago Mare | 1.84 6-0 |
92 200 |
1996-10-21 | 35 |
11 | Luciano González | 1.80 5-11 |
95 210 |
1997-04-10 | 56 |
12 | Marcos Moneta | 1.85 6-1 |
75 165 |
2000-03-07 | 26 |
ALT | Rodrigo Isgró | 1.85 6-1 |
95 210 |
1999-03-24 | 28 |
ALT | Santiago Vera Feld | 1.81 5-11 |
82 180 |
2001-03-19 | 23 |
URUGUAY
Head Coach: Ivo Dugonjic
1 | James McCubbin | 1.90 6-3 |
95 210 |
1998-05-27 | 12 |
2 | Valentín Grille | 1.87 6-2 |
88 195 |
1998-06-15 | 8 |
3 | Tomás Etcheverry | 1.96 6-5 |
101 220 |
2001-09-30 | 9 |
4 | Juan Manuel Tafernaberry | 1.75 5-9 |
72 160 |
2002-05-27 | 3 |
5 | Bautista Basso | 1.85 6-1 |
87 190 |
2001-01-18 | 12 |
6 | Diego Ardao (capt.) | 1.77 5-10 |
90 200 |
1995-08-04 | 14 |
7 | Mateo Viñals | 1.81 5-11 |
85 185 |
1998-10-07 | 11 |
8 | Felipe Arcos Pérez | 1.79 5-10 |
92 200 |
2000-05-17 | 10 |
9 | Guillermo Lijtenstein | 1.68 5-6 |
75 165 |
1990-09-14 | 18 |
10 | Baltazar Amaya | 1.85 6-1 |
90 200 |
1999-05-26 | 8 |
11 | Ignacio Facciolo | 1.88 6-2 |
91 200 |
2001-08-12 | 12 |
12 | Juan González | 1.79 5-10 |
87 190 |
2003-04-12 | 2 |
ALT | Koba Brazionis | 1.76 5-9 |
81 180 |
1998-10-07 | 8 |
ALT | Dante Soto | 1.75 5-9 |
80 175 |
2003-06-02 | 1 |
USA
Head Coach: Mike Friday
1 | Aaron Cummings | 1.88 6-2 |
90 200 |
1997-07-01 | 21 |
2 | Maka Unufe | 1.88 6-2 |
96 210 |
1991-09-28 | 53 |
3 | Orrin Bizer | 1.89 6-2 |
97 215 |
2000-12-13 | 7 |
4 | Matai Leuta | 1.91 6-3 |
106 235 |
1990-07-20 | 44 |
5 | Marcus Tupuola | 1.78 5-10 |
88 195 |
1995-10-05 | 31 |
6 | Kevon Williams (capt.) | 1.78 5-10 |
84 185 |
1991-06-07 | 53 |
7 | Naima Fuala’au | 1.76 5-9 |
85 185 |
1998-06-17 | 29 |
8 | Malacchi Esdale | 1.88 6-2 |
90 200 |
1995-05-04 | 26 |
9 | Stephen Tomasin | 1.78 5-10 |
87 190 |
1994-09-25 | 60 |
10 | Madison Hughes | 1.75 5-9 |
79 175 |
1992-10-26 | 60 |
11 | Perry Baker | 1.85 6-1 |
82 180 |
1986-06-29 | 71 |
12 | Lucas Lacamp | 1.82 6-0 |
88 195 |
2001-06-04 | 20 |
ALT | Adam Channel | 1.91 6-3 |
96 210 |
1997-01-16 | 14 |
ALT | Pita Vi | 1.80 5-11 |
85 185 |
2002-01-31 | 8 |
The post Final Americas Rosters for Men’s Olympic 7s appeared first on Americas Rugby News.
0 Comments