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Los Puma fly half Nicolás Sánchez has been distinguished as the best Argentine rugby player of the year 2015. Voted in by sports journalists at a special function in Buenos Aires on Tuesday evening, Sánchez was one of three finalists, the others being captain Agustín Creevy and left winger Juan Imhoff.
Sánchez’s memorable year began in France where he played for Toulon in both the Top 14 and the European Rugby Champions Cup. Having performed well in both competitions he returned to Argentina to prepare for the international campaign which culminated with the Rugby World Cup in England and Wales.
At the World Cup Sánchez left an overwhelmingly lasting impression and, indeed, will go down in history as the top point scorer of the tournament. He follows Gonzalo Quesada who did so in 1999 and went on to win the overall Olimpia de Plata for all sports, not just rugby.
Sánchez will play Super Rugby for Los Jaguares in 2016, with preparations beginning for the players in the first week of January. He will be one of five Tucumán players on the Super Rugby roster, the others being Gabriel Ascárate, Ramiro Moyano, Lucas Noguera Paz and Matías Orlando.
Not playing Super Rugby will be the remaining winners from the 2011-2015 World Cup cycle. Patricio Albacete won in 2011 and 2012, Marcelo Bosch in 2013 and Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe in 2014. All remain in Europe playing club rugby and have played their final games for Argentina.
