Los Pumas book Olympic Games spot
SEVENS SPOTLIGHT: Los Pumas Sevens will join Fiji, USA, New Zealand and South Africa, the four teams to book their places through the World Rugby Sevens Series 2019, and host nation Japan in the 12-team field in Tokyo.
With six players in their 12-man squad having played in Rio four years ago where they finished sixth, this will be Argentina’s second Olympic Games. They will join Brazil’s women in representing South America after they won the regional qualifier in Peru last month.
Coached by former sevens player Santiago Gómez Cora, Argentina were too strong for their six opponents, running in a total of 39 tries over two days with only Paraguay managing to score against them.
In the semi-finals they beat Chile 35-0, the hosts having failed to top their pool after losing to Brazil, the surprise team in the tournament on the opening day.
It was the Brazilians who kept Argentina to their lowest score in the final, and that was a four-try 26-0 win.
Brazil and third-ranked Chile will represent the region in the global repechage tournament to be played next year, while Brazil also claimed the eighth and final slot for the Pan American Games to be played in Lima later this month.
The next men’s qualifier for Tokyo 2020 will be from Rugby Americas North region, with their regional qualifier taking place in the Cayman Islands on July 6-7.
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