In many CBDs or gated communities, Marcos Moneta would get a ticket at full speed. Tested at a maximum speed of 40.1 kilometers per hour Cougars The Speedster 7s has ensured that no stone is left unturned, matching its natural ability with the preparation to match.
A certain Usain Bolt tested a top speed of 44.72 km/h, and Moneta explains that the various measuring methods gave him a best reading of 38.9 km/h (Catapult), 39.4 km/h (Kinexson), but given that his first recorded speed test was done with Statsports at 36.8001 km/h, this gives him a measurement of 46.8 km/h19 km/h. to show his growth.
Watching the 2021 Rugby Week Player of the Year being eliminated is one of the true joys of HSBC SVNS and fans immediately expect something to happen. With the ball in hand and with minimal wiggle room, the amount of damage the 26-year-old can do to an opponent is immense. His strikeout rate is probably the highest among the current crop of players.
He was first noticed at the age of 17 as a potential sevens player Argentina was preparing to win gold at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, he has since put his whole body and mind into the cause.
In a team that included future Pumas 7s teammate Matteo Graziano and Pumas fullback Lucio Cinti, Ignacio Mendy, team captain Juan Martín González and Bautista Pedemonte, Moneta then had raw speed and the ability to score from distance.
From an early age, first playing for San Andres, the FP club of the Scottish School of St. Andrew’s in the northern suburbs of Buenos Aires, he was always interested in preparations. As a side note, all those hand signals he gives after a try – and he’s scored over 200 goals in the SVNS series, are for his club, which he follows every weekend when he’s at home.
“Maybe in the beginning the gym was bigger, because of the aesthetics”, he opens in a conversation with RugbyPass. “But from U15, 16, 17, I realized that fitness plays a big part.”
On the way to the Youth Olympics, “I became more obsessed with strength, speed and explosiveness.”
Being very tidy in his daily life certainly helped him. A good student at school, he later graduated with a degree in business administration from the tough Universidad de San Andrés, while also being an international for the week. His preparation for rugby was no burden. “Actually, I enjoy it,” he says. “I like to train, I like to move.”
Endurance, strength, power, speed are crucial as are the rugby skills he has also mastered.
“My X-factor was speed; I’ve always paid a lot of attention to that, but it’s not necessarily the main focus of my preparation.”
Since making his Pumas 7s debut in 2019, he has become an integral part of Santiago Gómez Cora’s squad. He leads by example and constantly strives to be better.
He lives by what he does. “I put a lot of time and effort into recovery and rest. Boots, sauna, cryotherapy, lots of movement, mobility and flexibility are all crucial. It extends your lifespan as a high-performance athlete. It will ensure you are less prone to injury and allow you to perform every day.”
Another sidebar: Moneta has never had a major muscle injury. He suffered the biggest injury in Hong Kong in 2024, when he broke a bone in his leg. He returned in record time to play in the Olympics thanks to his dedication to recovery.
Moneta added the use of blue light blocking glasses to his daily routine to ensure better rest and deeper sleep. “I try to spend nine hours in bed, which I control with an app.”
This ambition to do better took him for the second year in a row to Fuschel am See, a small community in the Austrian Alps, half an hour’s drive from Salzburg. There, one of Moneta’s personal sponsors, Red Bull, has its athletic performance center.
“An incredible experience in a beautiful location,” he will say with a glow in his voice.
Siya Kolisi and Ashwin Willemse, two Springboks who also attended APC. The Newcastle Red Bulls were there this year as well, as well as representatives of all different sports under the auspices of an energy drink.
The coin flew Austria week in August where he underwent a series of tests and exams that would “give me and the team staff a clear picture of where I stand.”
This being his second visit, he already knew what to expect and keeping his training routine aside, he had a busy but very positive week.
“Since I was invited to India to play in the Premier 7s, I chose to rest and recover after a long season. And during our preseason we adjusted the way.”
Working with new generation machines and experienced staff, at the end of five days of testing, he received a full report on strength and power, aerobic and anaerobic activity statistics, general health information (blood, lungs, kidneys), skeletal health, information for physical therapy, nutrition goals, and even had mental health sessions.
“They compared my scores to the average scores of rugby players, sprinters and NFL players. Upper body did really well. Lower body, average. And my speed was above average, too.”
Fortunately, he will say, “All my stats were better than a year ago.”
They found a slight difference between the right and left leg that Moneta is already working on. “I will do the leg exercises a few more times on the left leg. Pumas 7s staff have already analyzed the results and are also in contact with APC. Everything has been very positive.”
Now a vlogger and host, Moneta chronicled his journey on the YouTube channel he shares with Graziano (https://www.youtube.com/@MoneYLaGarza). “We’re enjoying it. It gives us something to do outside of rugby and this season, when we find the right moment, we’ll show our travels with the team of the week.”
He also hosts a weekly show on Disney+ focused on rugby.
Pumas 7s in full force won the Odesur 7s in September, a multi-sport event against regional opposition. They showed that they will again be a threat to the teams from the top seven.
The goal for 2027 is clear. “Qualify for Los Angeles 2028. Hopefully directly from the SVNS Series. Last season we finished fifth, but we could have been first. After a year together, the team is now stronger.”
Paris 2024 still hurts. The team probably reached its peak earlier than expected. “We were candidates; France they also had ambitions and won the gold medal so they were a very good team. It still stings. Having said that, we were not contenders in Tokyo and we won a medal. Sport is not always fair.”
His goal is, 100%, the goal of the team. “We’re only talking about qualifications. First things first.”
After LA28? “I don’t plan after the Games,” he said bluntly.