From World Cup heartbreak to Olympic dream: Mateo Vinals' inspiring path

“The day after I was dropped from the Rugby World Cup squad, I bought my ticket to France,” opens Mateo Viñals.

“Sixteen of my mates, had booked their flights to come and watch me play and when I was told I wouldn’t be going to France, I did not hesitate. It wasn’t what I dreamt for, but it was still a huge party which I enjoyed.”

As much as Mateo would have loved to be playing in the biggest of rugby shows, he has very fond memories of a trip that saw him support his country against Italy in Nice and Namibia in Lyon, “the two games we were aiming to win.” Only Namibia finished in victory for Uruguay.

Catch up on the action from the HSBC SVNS Series on RugbyPass TV, which you can sign up for HERE.

He would be back in France less than a year later.

“The Olympic Games were a dream come true; I hope to have the opportunity to go to another one,” he says. “It is the biggest event there is.”

When Santi Gómez Cora’s Argentina side were on a trajectory that would land them one of the four direct spots in Paris, it opened opportunities for a second regional team.

“That was when the dream started; Paris was the realization of that dream.”

Rugby opened the Games even before the teams paraded on the River Seine; with a number of teammates, Mateo stayed behind for five days, “watching a lot of sports, bumping into Dan Carter who was there, and tennis stars Rafa Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic. You are speechless all the time with the magnitude of what it is.”

With more than three years away from Los Angeles 2028, by when he will be 29, for Mateo, it is a “something I’d love to be able to live again. But it is day-to-day, game-by-game. But I’d do whatever it takes.”

Speaking in Montevideo ahead of the double-tournament trip to Hong Kong and Singapore, he is looking forward to a new opportunity.

“It is a good tour as you only travel once all the way to Asia.” Last year, Hong Kong and Singapore were stand alone events.

Uruguay and Argentina are the two male teams that have the longest travel in the season. “It takes its toll, but sevens is always great fun.”

Viñals is contracted by the Uruguayan Rugby Union and last year combined sevens and fifteens. Unwanted by Peñarol Rugby at Super Rugby Americas, now coached by his former sevens coach Ivo Dugonjic, he still hopes to play for Uruguay when the RWC 2027 qualifiers come later this year.

Having made his test debut in 2021, in 2024 he played against France a couple of weeks before departing for Paris, and against Spain, Japan and Romania in November.

A winger by trade, he has been moved to centre in Los Teros 7s where he is still learning.

“I had two good tournaments in Dubai and Cape Town, missed Perth, but didn’t play that well in Vancouver. At centre you come more in touch with the ball, but you are more exposed in defence.”

“Mistakes happen and I need to quickly understand what went wrong, if it is a confidence issue or a technical issue. And work on that,” he explains about how he deals with frustration.

“The week leading up to the team travelling, we focused on defence. We know that we will have to play in Los Angeles to stay in the SVNS, so games in the next two tournaments are important as we play for ourselves, keeping an eye on LA. We need to put a marker with USA, Kenya and Ireland, who will also be playing the play-off.”

“Every game will allow us to keep growing.”

“We have very good players and I believe we should be OK for LA. We are a team that is building with very good young players – such as Alfonso Vidal and Juan González, that exploded in Vancouver and confirmed what we all knew he could become. Some very good players have moved to XVs but those that came in are also very good; they are only lacking in experience which comes with time.”

Under new coach Gabriel Puig, the team has a clear goal: play the HSBS SVNS next season.

“I trust him with my eyes closed; I trust his word, his take on rugby. With time, he’ll also grow in experience.”

A good club player, Mateo came into the international scene in 2018 at the U20s, same year as he started training with Teros 7s, making his debut the following season. Today he is one of the oldest team members, with RWC 7s, Pan American Games, Olympics and SVNS in his resumé.

The long trip to Hong Kong and Singapore might bring the joy of having his girlfriend Marina O’Neill as a fan, who is planning to go to her first tournament in Singapore. A social media influencer and a growing figure in the fashion scene in her country, she hopes to fly to the season’s sixth destination.

“I love Singapore and she’s heard very good things about the city. I won’t be seeing much of her, but it should be a great experience.”

His parents won’t travel this time but have followed him as much as they have been able to and are big fans.

“I am the first in the family to play rugby, but they now love it. They took me to Carrasco Polo Club as a six-year-old, the club I’ve played for all my life.”

Rugby has also been influential in his choice of a career outside of the game.

“As a teenager I bought online a Harlequins backpack and tracksuit and got it sent to Uruguay. It was such a hassle to get it out of customs that I decided to study Foreign Trade. I still have the backpack.”

Whilst in previous years, he would trade playing shirts, now he is more into shorts.

“I do have Marcos Moneta’s jersey and I might be hanging it somewhere in my house. With Lucho González and Matías Osacdzuk, they are the best players in the series.”