Santiago Gómez Cora, leader and talisman of Los Pumas 7s: “We are in a dream from which I never want to wake up”

The gold they have Cougars inside London Sevensthe last date of the 2022/23 championship, was the sixth in history for the Argentina national team on the World Rugby World Tour. He was present in all Santiago Gomez Corawho celebrated the first two as a player (in los angeles 2004 It’s inside San Diego 2009) and the other four as coach (last year in Vancouver and this season, in Hamiltonalways in the Canadian tournament and this Sunday, in the English capital).

After the win against Fiji ​for 35-14 in the final in the legendary twickenhamhead coach of the biancoceleste team, could not hide his emotion.

“We are in a dream from which I never want to wake up. I am grateful to this group of people, and to my work team, because they have never given up, they never give up. They leave everything aside, family, home, friends, of everything, give everything for this family that is Los Pumas 7. It is a pride and a pleasure. The best year in history, by far, “he said.

“It was a spectacular tournament. In truth, the competition was very tough, above all because we had to recover from what was the final in Toulouse a week ago, where we experienced a roller coaster of emotions. We qualified for the 2024 Olympics, secured second place in the season, played in the final… And we also lived with the pain of losing the title to New Zealand when we were winning and playing better. But this team has done more, is always doing more and this is what makes me proud. Despite all this, we managed to cap off a magical year, with a title in the Cathedral of rugby, even beating Fiji twice and, what else to say?” he added.

And he closed: “Finishing second in the league, I think we hadn’t even thought about it in our dreams. The goal was to be in the top four to be able to enter the Paris Games directly, and the boys overcame it with goals, so it’s It was also an unforgettable year.”