Argentine speedster crowned best in Sevens

NEWS: Argentina's Marcos Moneta has been crowned World Rugby's Men's Sevens Player of the Year.

He beat Napolioni Bolaca (Fiji), Scott Curry (New Zealand) and Jiuta Wainiqolo (Fiji) for the award.

Moneta had shown glimpses of his potential on the World Rugby Sevens Series 2020, but it was at the Olympic Games in Tokyo that he announced his name to the watching world with six tries to finish as top try-scorer as Argentina won the bronze medal.

The 21-year-old, a Youth Olympic Games gold medallist in 2018, scored his tries at key moments, not least a double in the quarterfinals as the six – and for a period five – men of Argentina held off South Africa to keep their medal hopes alive.

Moneta is the first Argentinian to win the accolade.

Meanwhile, the Women's Sevens Player of the Year award went to France's Anne-Cécile Ciofani.

The first French player nominated for the award, Ciofani breaks the dominance of Australia and New Zealand in this category.

The 27-year-old was in inspired form in 2021, scoring seven tries in the World Rugby Sevens Repechage to book France’s ticket to Tokyo 2020 and enable her to follow in her parents’ footsteps as an Olympian.

Ciofani crossed for seven tries in Tokyo, only failing to do so in the opening match against Fiji, as France claimed a deserved silver medal.