Taking the high altitude...

The Fiji Airways Fijian 7s team starts training at their altitude camp in Utah, USA, yesterday. Head coach Gareth Baber took the players through an intensive session set amongst the picturesque mountains. The players are adjusting to the 8863 metres above sea level atmosphere really well and Baber is pleased with the work they’ve done so far.

Los Pumas Sevens have concluded two weeks of intense preparation in Buenos Aires and will now travel to the United States to spend two weeks in the Olympic Training Centre in Chula Vista.

This is in the countdown to the Rugby World Cup Sevens July 2022.

The side coached by sevens legend Santiago Gómez Cora, will arrive at AT&T Park on the back of a positive season with key players returning from injury. They are now ready to close out preparations on a high note.

Even if this will be the first time Los Pumas Sevens have based themselves in Chula Vista, Gómez Cora knows the high-performance Olympic centre well. As captain, his team prepared here before winning the USA Sevens in 2009 and going on to play in the final of Rugby World Cup Sevens in Dubai a few weeks later.

“We didn’t stay there but used their facilities which are ideal for a sportsman as everything is within walking distance, from the rooms to the food hall, to the gym to the fields,” said the former player, who held the all-time try-scoring record in HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series history until May 2016. PosItive feedback from the women’s team, who used the facility last November, also persuaded Gómez Cora to book the venue which will also be used by USA Sevens. “We have split our preparation into two phases: at home in Buenos Aires and in the USA,” explained Gómez Cora, who has decided to organise one friendly, against South Africa, in the week leading up to the tournament. “During the two-week long first phase, we focused on conditioning and fitness and then worked on specifics, deconstructing different aspects of the game and working on them every day,” he explained. One of the key goals in Buenos Aires was nailing down a tournament specific game plan. “Once in Chula Vista, we’ll have a week of intense activity and the second week will be about going through what we want to achieve. When we reach San Francisco it is time to relax and think about our first opponent.”

For veteran captain Gastón Revol, the tournament could be his last for the team and the 31-year-old wants his second Rugby World Cup Sevens to be a positive experience. “I love being able to share my experience of so many years and still able to both be positive in attack and defence,” said the Olympian. “I still feel hungry and willing.” With regard to the challenges awaiting in San Francisco, Revol admits the change of format makes for “do-or-die” rugby. “The change in format means it all depends on one game. In a tournament, you know you have a key game in each pool yet you still have other opportunities to go through. Now it is door-die.”

In saying this, Argentina are not looking beyond their first game, against Canada or Papua New Guinea, in the Round of 16. “This format does not allow us to think ahead; you can only focus on one game at a time. It would be dangerous to do otherwise. We do have as a starting goal to reach the top eight but, obviously, we want to be world champions,” said Revol. Argentina finished seventh in the recently concluded HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, taking home silver medals from Cape Town and Las Vegas, and a bronze in Sydney. Even if they only managed 15 points in the final three rounds, Gómez Cora considered it a good season.

“We tried players and certain aspects of our game plan. Now, with the focus only on RWC Sevens, we are in a good place.”