“It was crazy to be the champion in New Zealand.”

Los Pumas Seven’s sensational win on the special world tour and defeat of New Zealand at home in Hamilton will be unforgettable for the rugby world. Pilar’s Tobias Wade was one of the main protagonists in the Argentina national team’s victory in the final that opened the 2023 season.

The former student spoke to El Diario ahead of a new challenge in another mythical oval city, Sydney (Australia), where the national team will try to fight for gold this Saturday at dawn.

Regarding the fourth star in Pumas Seven history, Tobias explained: “It means a lot. It is a reflection of all the work we have done during this time. I am very happy.”

“Vancouver was the first thing I could get,” he clarified about his participation in a third win in 2022. “But this is very special,” he contrasted.

“For beating New Zealand at their home ground. A 12-0 record was the crucial margin for the final, and what we bounced back from was very special”, he assured.

“To win in Hamilton and New Zealand, with all its people, is something very special for all of us. We’re not favourites, it’s fantastic to achieve that”, he concluded.

“Personally, the balance is absolutely positive. To be champion in New Zealand is crazy,” he described.

Analysis
“Defense was the best thing we did. It was our high point, we felt very comfortable in it and from there we started to grow in our game. That’s what stood out the most from the Championship”, Wade argued of Las Pumas’ virtues in the All Blacks.

Both Las Pumas and Tobias have moved to Sydney, where they will be looking for a ticket to the gold medal match this Saturday morning, “to keep working and to be competitive. It will be great to confirm everything we did in Hamilton at this tournament,” he said.

Personally, he admitted: “It’s great to keep adding minutes with the team, every day I feel better about it.”

Paris 2024
“The goal this year is to qualify for the Olympics,” Wade said. “But in every competition, the focus is on achieving as much classification as possible. Continue to build our team, that’s the most important thing,” he said.