Matias Osadczuk reflects on Los Pumas 7s’ growth and new challenges ahead

There is almost a 40-degree difference from the intense heat of Buenos Aires to the deep cold of Vancouver. That is not an issue for Los Pumas 7s, or it has certainly not been much of a problem as they arrive in one of the most beautiful venues of the HSBC SVNS as three-time defending champions.

Whilst in the same continent, it is far from a home game for an Argentine outfit that will again be without their perennial coach and sevens legend Santiago Gómez Cora, still recovering from a serious back operation.

He missed his first tournament as the team’s Head Coach since 2013 when he led the team via Zoom and WhatsApp to victory in Perth last month. The well-oiled team responded well to the challenge. In charge in Australia was his able lieutenant since the first day Leonardo Gravano who will, again, be in charge pitch-side.

He was back at training sessions at the team’s HQ, but it was too early to jump on a plane. Whilst Gómez Cora will be in shorts, in 30+ degrees centigrade, his team will be in below zero degrees.

“Most of us enjoy the cold,” opens Matias Osadczuk, one of the world’s best sevens players, in his ninth season in the circuit.

“BC Place is one of the best venues of the circuit; it is under the roof, heated, and the crowd is noisy,” he says understating the fact that he was the team captain the second time Argentina won there in 2023 and was a team leader in their last visit.

Playing in Vancouver doesn’t carry the usual disadvantage Argentina and neighbouring Uruguay face with jet lag.  Five hours for experienced travellers such as these regular travellers is a joy.

First capped in Dubai in 2016, the same year he played for Argentina U20, he arrived in Vancouver on 237 games played over 45 tournaments, in which he scored 124 tries.

These figures don’t include two Olympic Games, two Pan American Gold medals and a handful of South American 7s events.

“We try to save air miles, but it is never easy to get big flights with the points as there are from different groups or airlines, so I use most of them to fly with my girlfriend to her city home of Mendoza, or within the region.”

Growing up, family holidays were driving distance, so early on in his rugby career, he had to get accustomed to flying.

“Sometimes, getting ready for long trips you think about how hard it will be; to get over that, what I do is go back to the emotion of that first trip, and I get somewhat nervous when packing; nice, positive nerves.”

Living in the Western Districts of Buenos Aires, he hails from a club, SITAS (Sociedad Italiana de Tiro al Segno) that has only him and Sofía González (national sevens players, now playing in a different club) and Axel Zapata as the three to have worn a national jersey.

When in SITAS, which is whenever he is back home, he is feted by young and old. His brother Santiago leads the First XV from halfback and there is a family history at the club.

After last year’s Olympic Games, sevens players were allowed to return, briefly, to their clubs.

“It was great! I played two games, and we won both.”

“Playing for a small club certainly gave me focus early on; to be considered and competitive I knew I had to always be ready.”

Pumas 7s players sign yearly contracts and although he is happy playing sevens, “the dream of playing for Los Pumas is always there, maybe even to play overseas. If the opportunity came, I would take it. At 27, I understand age will soon be a factor.”

Rodrigo Isgró went non-stop from Los Pumas 7s to his first cap, to RWC 2023 and after the Paris Games 2024, he joined Harlequins.

“Rodri is a clear indication that sevens players can adapt; Lucio Cinti (played in the Tokyo Games and now shines with Saracens) is another example. They gave us visibility.”

His goal is currently in the sevens and the way the team is performing makes him very happy.

Preparation for Vancouver was all about “adjusting details, going through some of the things that went very well but always looking at what can be corrected.”

“That is what we did as we went along in Perth and the results were clear to see.”

“We are very well connected as a squad and that shows. Things are happening and new players are fitting nicely, so much that they push from the bench, raising the performance bar.”

The feeling is really good. “I guess teams thought that without (retired) Gastón Revol and Isgro, we’d struggle; we were not happy with how we played in Cape Town, but were back to where we were last year.”

Perth and Cape Town are two of his favourite cities. Vancouver is also on his podium. “Great coffee scene, a park we always go to, and we’ve had good tournaments there.”

It was after the win in BC Place that things started to go adrift last year. They did win the HSBC Series league, but lost the Grand Final in Madrid and then the Olympic Games did not bring the much-dreamt medal.

“Each player went through that loss differently. I can watch that final 300 times that it won’t affect me now as it is a scar I carry. We lost it; under pressure, we couldn’t handle what was happening.”

Playing against a very good France 7s, in Paris, so soon after a famous Argentina win in FIFA World Cup, the pressure coming down from the stands at the Stade de France was huge.

“We’d won a Series and that took its toll. Speaking with the French players, they managed their campaign better and peaked at the right time.”

“In sevens you learn to turn the page quickly. You take a nap and there’s no time to turn things around.”

“I will always see the glass half full, and we had a great 2024.”

Moving on to 2025, the goal “is to continue last year’s trajectory. We must be most consistent, incorporating new players. Our initial goal is always to play the Cup quarterfinals.”

From being an itinerant sport with little coverage, nowadays, the HSBC SVNS is available live, which brings the team’s success closer to the fans. “2016 was when sevens started to feature on TV and few knew what we were up to. Everything has changed now.”

“I live in a football area and kids know who I am. I have a group of Friends that play skate hockey and they wake up to watch games. They are hooked to sevens.”

“Our medal in Tokyo certainly helped and we love it!”