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Marcos Moneta has taken home the top Argentine rugby award for 2021. He was named as the best rugby player of the year by being awarded the Olimpia de Plata for 2021. Moneta was one of three finalists. The others were Pumas hooker and captain Julián Montoya and his teammate Marcos Kremer.
The Olimpia de Plata is the second major award won by Moneta in as many weeks. The man from San Andrés was named as 2021’s best Rugby Sevens player in the world by World Rugby. Never before had an Argentine won such an award.
Moneta was the top try scorer at the Tokyo Olympics. He scored six tries in the tournament, where he showed tremendous speed and finishing abilities. He helped Argentina to a Quarter Finals win over South Africa despite being in a virtually assured losing position. Moneta scored twice in a match wherein Argentina finished with five men.
His double against South Africa saw Los Pumas 7’s into the final four. He would also touch down in the try zone in the Bronze Final. Argentina defeated Great Britain to secure the country’s first ever Olympics medal in rugby.
Moneta’s impressive 2021 was far more than about Tokyo. He scored a hat-trick against France in the Bronze finish in Dubai and was a stand-out at the South American Sevens, the Los Angeles Sevens and the Madrid Sevens tournaments.
He was called-up by Mario Ledesma for the Rugby Championship. Moneta was with the team in South Africa and Australia but did not receive game time. He is likely to debut for Los Pumas in 2022. The year will also see Moneta chasing glory at the Rugby Sevens World Cup.
