By Gabriella Kalnins on RUCK Debut
With just one weekend left in Ultimate Sevens, one side seems a little 'hungrier' for silverware than the rest.
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Ahead of the Grand Final of the inaugural tournament, RUCK sat down with Sol Feroz player and 2025 Men's SVNS Dream Team player Manu Moreno, to discuss his thoughts on the tournament.
Moreno was one of the marquee signings of the tournament, and although Sol Feroz have had a difficult run across Cardiff and Biarittz, Moreno believes the team are still in the fight for the Grand Final.
He said: “I think this team is very hungry for victory.”
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Sol Feroz were knocked out of the first round during the first event in Cardiff, yet made it to the semi-finals the following week in Biarritz.
Moreno believes in the quality of the squad, and how they will be able to challenge for overall victory.
The Latin-American inspired team have struggled so far, coming close to winning before squandering leads with loose passes to prevent Sol Feroz any silverware.
Moreno said: “We lost every game on the last play, against two of the best teams of the tournament, so we are very hungry.
“I think we are improving very fast. It’s some of the best players in the world, so everyone is learning very fast. It is difficult to change our way of playing but we are doing well I think.”
However, in this Grand Final, the winners of the previous two rounds get an automatic bye to the semi-finals, leaving the other four teams to duke it out for the remaining spots. Can Sol Feroz make it through? Manu Moreno definitely thinks so.
He said: “We have the opportunity to show our level in this tournament.”
The tournament has brought in some of the best players that international rugby sevens has to offer, and Sol Feroz have faced some stiff opponents.
In Cardiff, their game against Pacific Current was taken all the way to golden score. In Biarritz they played both finalists, Pacific Current and Albion Athletic.
The strength of the opposition has not dampened Moreno’s spirit. The team are working hard to become a cohesive unit and to clean up the mistakes they made in the previous two rounds of the competition.
When asked about the tournament as a whole, Moreno was very proud of the team, regardless of the results. The cultural differences and language barriers have not stopped them from bonding, and learning to play a cohesive game of rugby despite the differences in style.
“We are training a lot, we keep building a family, keep building a good environment. We have a good mentality.
“Everyone on my team is a really good person, we are here to improve our rugby, and to try and make this sport great again.”
The tournament has been a thrilling opportunity for international stars to come together and play new, exciting rugby with people they have spent the rest of their career playing against.
Manu Moreno sees Ultimate Sevens as a hugely positive move for sevens rugby. The inaugural season has been a demonstration of the best rugby sevens has to offer, in a way that is fresh and exciting for fans and players alike.
“I think it’s going to be a goal for every player to be here, to try and be selected with the best players in the world.”
Moreno’s Sol Feroz will be hoping to beat the French-inspired outfit Foudre Bleue in their opening game, in order to advance to the semi-finals where they could face Clan Taran or Albion Athletic.
