Dupont, Moneta & Marky Mark: 7 men’s sevens players to watch at Olympics

After the third and final week of July internationals in the 15s game, the attention of the rugby world has shifted to the upcoming Paris Olympics.

France were crowned the overall SVNS Series champions last month after beating League Winners Argentina in a thrilling Grand Final. But with that in the past, New Zealand, Ireland, Fiji and Australia are among the other teams who will be desperate to make their mark on the grandest stage of all.

With 80,000 passionate fans filling the stands at Stade de France, the 2024 Olympic Games will be the biggest tournament in rugby sevens history. But at the end of the day, winning gold is what it’s all about.

Whether you’re new to sevens or a seasoned fan, here are seven names you need to know before the Paris Olympics.

ANTOINE DUPONT (FRANCE)

No sevens preview list would be complete without Antoine Dupont. Already regarded as the best 15s player of his generation, if not all time, Dupont jumped over to the SVNS Series in February and emerged as one of the standouts in that format as well.

Back in October, when France was knocked out of the Rugby World Cup by eventual champions South Africa, it was painfully clear how much that result hurt Dupont. For all the expectation and hype, Les Bleus had fallen short of their goal on home soil.

But an exciting new chapter beckoned for France’s 15s captain, with Dupont taking up the opportunity to jump codes in the pursuit of Olympic gold. The former World Rugby 15s Player of the Year skipped the Six Nations to pursue sevens before the Games.

France hadn’t won a SVNS Series Cup Final in 19 years before Dupont joined the team. On debut in Vancouver, they fell short of rewriting history with a third-placed finish after beating USA 42-12 at BC Place Stadium.

But Les Bleus Sevens got the job done one week later with a 21-nil win over Great Britain at SVNS LAX at Dignity Health Sports Park. Dupont temporarily left sevens with a gold medal, and wouldn’t return until the Grand Final in Madrid.

France won that, too.

For those keeping score, that’s two Cup Final wins in three tournaments for France when Antoine Dupont has been playing. The Grand Final triumph is all the more incredible when you consider he had won the Champions Cup with Toulouse in London one week earlier.

Dupont had Australia’s Matthew Gonzalez tripping over his own feet before scoring his first try on the Series in Vancouver, and the Frenchman later showcased brute strength to bump off GB’s Robbie Fergusson in Madrid.

But breaking down Dupont’s skillset seems almost unnecessary.

What the SVNS Series Rookie of the Year brings to the table isn’t just impressive, it’s almost beyond belief. With 80,000 fans at Stade de France cheering Les Bleus Sevens on, there’s almost no reason why Dupont and the other SVNS champions can’t take home gold.

IOSEFO MASI (FIJI)

The return of two-time Olympic gold medallist Jerry Tuwai has rightfully captured headlines right across the rugby world. Tuwai was back for Fiji’s bid for glory at the SVNS Series Grand Final in Madrid, which included promising performances in the knockout rounds.

While the inclusion of someone so deserving of ‘legendary’ status has drawn widespread praise and attention late the SVNS Series season and before the Games, there is another member of Fiji’s Olympic team who needs to be talked about.

Iosefo Masi is one of the most exciting talents in the Southern Hemisphere. Whether it’s in 15s or sevens, much like Dupont, the 26-year-old seems to break through tackles and read the game with relative ease.

After helping Fiji take home gold at the postponed Tokyo Games three years ago, Masi backed that up by helping them win the Rugby Sevens World Cup in Cape Town. This is a man with plenty of experience in sevens so that can’t go unnoticed.

But Masi seems to have come of age, or really announced himself, as a player to be feared on the rugby field with the Fijian Drua and Flying Fijians in 15s. After playing two matches at last year’s World Cup, the Fijian returned to Super Rugby Pacific in sensational form.

Masi started at outside centre in all 15 appearances for the Drua this season, including their quarter-final defeat to the Blues at Auckland’s Eden Park. During the season, the midfielder scored six tries in three games at one stage which left fans in awe.

JORDAN CONROY (IRELAND)

Ireland were almost the most consistent men’s team on the SVNS Series this season. They only made one Cup Final during the seven regular season events, which was a loss to New Zealand in the Singapore decider, but they showed time and time again what they’re capable of.

Captain Harry McNulty and former World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year Terry Kennedy were two of the standouts, and the addition of 15s fullback Hugo Keenan for the Grand Final at Civitas Metropolitano was well received.

But Ireland’s key to success in Paris is Jordan Conroy.

Conroy represented Ireland at the postponed Tokyo Games in 2021 and was also part of the squad that went to battle at the Rugby Sevens World Cup in South Africa. This is a player with invaluable experience and a habit of being a difference-maker for the men in green.

It’s true that Terry Kennedy tends to be the one scoring tries from the end of the Earth for the Fighting Irish, but the work that Conroy does in general play is essential to any and all successes. Whether it’s in defence or attack, the 30-year-old is a game-changer.

After a strong start to the 2023/24 season in Dubai and then Cape Town, the Irishman carried that form into the Perth leg of the campaign. One moment that stands out was a memorable try against Australia on day two, with that score going a long way to securing a 19-10 win.

With a loud contingent of Irish fans cheering, screaming and generally having a blast, Conroy placed the ball down and seemed to love every moment. This is a man who loves big occasions, so the Olympics is perfect.

LEROY CARTER (NEW ZEALAND)

New Zealand have never won an Olympic men’s gold medal in rugby sevens. The Kiwis fell to a fairly disappointing finish at the 2016 Games in Rio and five years later, came within one win of taking home gold but instead had to settle for silver.

There’s a strong contingent of experienced players, that’s for sure, but some younger players with a point to prove to themselves. For first-time Olympians including Leroy Carter, this is an opportunity to help put NZ Sevens’ horrors of three years ago behind them.

The All Blacks Sevens were fairly disappointing for about half of the SVNS Series season. They struggled to build off their third-placed finish in Dubai as they went on to miss the quarters in Perth and against in Los Angeles.

But Carter was injured for a lot of that.

Without Carter, the All Blacks Sevens struggled. But the 25-year-old was back in the mix for the SVNS Series leg in Singapore and played a leading role as the New Zealanders took out their second Cup Final of the season.

Carter scored in the first minute against Ireland in the Singapore decider, but generally in that tournament the 2023 World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year nominee was strong. That high level of play carried into the Grand Final event in Madrid.

In a war against South Africa in pool play, Carter scored two crucial tries in the ninth and 15^th minutes to secure the win. That try scored in the final play, the New Zealand sevens ace flew down the right wing before dotting the ball down.

This is a Kiwi who can score from anywhere.

This is a Kiwi who rarely misses a tackle.

This is a Kiwi who needs to be on song for New Zealand to win Olympic gold.

MARCOS MONETA (ARGENTINA)

As thousands of fans partied the day and night away at the incredible Hong Kong Sevens earlier this year, Series leaders Argentina looked like a shadow of their former selves. They registered a few uncharacteristic losses – it seems their head wasn’t quite in it.

That takeaway comes from what this writer saw at Hong Kong Stadium. After star player Marcos Moneta left the field in tears with a leg injury, Los Pumas Sevens finished the match and walked down the tunnel in a state of shock.

From memory, nobody seemed to talk to one another. It was an emotional moment but not many tears were shed at that stage. But for the Argentinians, they thought they’d probably just lost their best player and good friend to an Olympics-ending injury.

But the good news is that Marcos Moneta is back.

Moneta didn’t take the field in Madrid but instead did some media work with ESPN. The sevens speedster was seen running around in the media room with a smile on his face – it hadn’t been confirmed that Moneta would go to the Games, but it seemed like a sure thing.

The reigning World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year nominee was officially named in Argentina’s squad and it’s crucial that he plays, and plays well. Rodrigo Isgro is going as a travelling reserve after picking up a suspension, so the hole that he leaves must be filled by Moneta.

As a leader, playmaker, try scorer and inspiration, Marcos Moneta must embody all those roles and more as Argentina look to take home gold. They were the most consistent side on the SVNS Series this season but they fell painfully short of the overall title.

They’ll want to make amends.

For those who maybe haven’t watched too much sevens this year, understand that the inclusion of this man can’t go unnoticed.

Marcos Moneta is in sevens what Antoine Dupont is in 15s. There is daylight between the rest of the pack and the Argentinian when it comes to who the sport’s best player is going into the Olympic Games in Paris.

That’s a big claim, but it’s true.

MARK NAWAQANITAWASE (AUSTRALIA)

When Australia unveiled their rugby sevens squad for the Olympics at a French restaurant in Sydney’s CBD a few weeks ago, there was one man who literally stood out from the rest. It was night on impossible to look past Mark Nawaqanitawase when scanning the room.

The former Wallaby, who is set to join the Sydney Roosters in the NRL after the Olympics, stands out as a beast amongst warriors. Nawaqanitawase’s tall stature makes him a prized commodity for Australia going into their quest for Olympic gold.

Coach John Manenti spoke after the squad was officially unveiled, commenting on how the winger’s height and vertical leap can play a big role in the Aussies’ winning restarts. Restarts are, after all, one of the most important plays in any given sevens match.

With Corey Toole, Dietrich Roache, Henry Hutchison and Henry Paterson also in this squad, if ‘Marky Mark’ can help the Aussies win more ball then they’ll win more matches. It’s almost as simple as that.

As fans from 15s are well aware, Nawaqanitawase is also a proven try scorer. The 23-year-old isn’t a one-trick pony either, with Nawaqanitawase boasting an ability to beat other players with sheer pace, outmuscling them, or finding an offload reminiscent of Sonny Bill Williams.

With the ex-Wallaby among their ranks, Australia are a dark horse for gold.

PERRY BAKER (USA)

Two-time World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year Perry Baker was supposed to retire after the upcoming Olympic Games, and at least at this stage, that’s still the plan. But the ‘Speedstick’ gave this writer a moment of hope at the Grand Final event in Madrid.

“I might keep going and go to Hong Kong or LA again and then retire after that tournament,” Baker told RugbyPass. “Who knows?”

Whether Perry Baker does decide to retire from sevens or not remains to officially be seen after the Games, but for now, all fans should take a moment to really appreciate what the American has done for rugby union.

Baker will go down in history as probably the greatest American rugby union player the sport has seen so far. At 38 years of age, what he’s done in a USA Eagles jumper alongside the likes of Madison Hughes and Kevon Williams is incredible.

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re well aware of what Baker can do on the rugby field.

Baker is as quick of a flash of lightning, and with the stars and stripes of the USA’s jersey worn proudly, there are no limits to what the Eagles Sevens can do in Paris.

This is a team who, while they failed to qualify for the SVNS Series Grand Final and instead had to scrap it out in the playoffs, have beaten New Zealand and some other big dogs a couple of times this season.

If they turn up at Stade de France, don’t write them off.

They’ll want to send Perry Baker out, if he does retire, as a winner.