Nicolas Pueta
Encyclopedia
Nicolás Pueta is a rugby player
Rugby player
Rugby player can refer to a participant in one of two different sports rugby union and rugby league. It can also refer to a participant in the sport of wheelchair rugby.*:Category:Rugby union players*:Category:Rugby league footballers...

 and motivational speaker
Motivational speaker
A motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. In a business context, they are employed to communicate company strategy with clarity and help employees to see the future in a positive light and inspire workers to pull...

 in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

. He plays for Saint Andrew's Former Pupils Club in the Buenos Aires Rugby Union
Torneo de la URBA
The Torneo de la Unión de Rugby de Buenos Aires, or simply Torneo de la URBA, is a rugby union competition in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Created in 1899, it is the oldest rugby competition in South America and one of the oldest club competitions in the world....

 (URBA
Unión de Rugby de Buenos Aires
This article is about a Rugby organization. URBA can also refer to the URBA mass transport system.The Buenos Aires Rugby Union , usually referred as URBA, is the governing body that organises and controls the rugby union in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, as well as the Buenos Aires Provincial...

) League.

History

He was born with a femoral deficiency that meant that his left leg never grew to the same size as his right one. But that never stopped him from sport, specially his ultimate goal of playing rugby. "I've loved the game from the first day. I always accompanied my friends and class-mates to their games. But, when they took the field, I had to stay on the wrong side of the chalk line," said Pueta, whose father is a respected coach and his two younger brothers also play rugby. One day, aged 15, he decided that it was time to give it a go, and despite medical and parental advise not taking no for an answer, he played his first game of rugby.

"I never assumed my handicap and if anything, as a kid not having a leg meant that my arms were much stronger," Pueta added. His right leg is stronger than a tree and he jumps all over the field–like a kangaroo–and will tackle everything that comes his way. His lineout
Line-out
A line-out is the means by which, in rugby union, the ball is put back into play after it has gone into touch. It is the equivalent of the throw-in in soccer. Rugby league abolished line-outs in 1897...

 jumping is also an asset to whatever team he plays in.

After getting a diploma in Translation, he travelled to Europe where he played rugby in England, for Whitley Bay
Whitley Bay
Whitley Bay is a town in North Tyneside, in Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the North Sea coast and has a fine stretch of golden sandy beach forming a bay stretching from St. Mary's Island in the north to Cullercoats in the south...

 Rockcliff Rugby Club where he completed the 2007-08 season. Soon after he moved to Netherlands and had a short spell in Dutch rugby playing for Maastricht Maraboes RC. Before the end of the season he returned to Argentina and his lifetime club, Club San Andres
Club San Andrés
El Club de Ex-Alumnos San Andrés, simply known as Club San Andrés, is a sports club from the Olivos neighborhood, Greater Buenos Aires, Argentina. The club currently has competitive teams in Rugby union, field hockey and sailing....

.

He worked in the communications department of Rugby World Cup 2007
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...

 and at the conclusion of the tournament, in front of a galaxy of rugby stars, was awarded the prestigious IRB
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...

 Spirit of Rugby Award for his strength in pursuing his passion of rugby despite physical disadvantages.

Upon returning to his country in 2008, the Buenos Aires Rugby Union also awarded him with their Cap
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...

 and the television show Leyendas del Rugby (where Argentine rugby legends are recognized) gave him another accolade.

Nicolás currently works in the sports travel industry
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...

 and is a motivational speaker, making his audience understand about fighting for one's dreams, overcoming problems and ensuring the goal is reached by putting mind and body to the task.

His motivational speeches, which draw audiences ranging from school children to company directors, are done in either English or Spanish.

Honours

Season Team Title
2009   Club San Andrés
Club San Andrés
El Club de Ex-Alumnos San Andrés, simply known as Club San Andrés, is a sports club from the Olivos neighborhood, Greater Buenos Aires, Argentina. The club currently has competitive teams in Rugby union, field hockey and sailing....

Promotion to Torneo de la URBA
Torneo de la URBA
The Torneo de la Unión de Rugby de Buenos Aires, or simply Torneo de la URBA, is a rugby union competition in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Created in 1899, it is the oldest rugby competition in South America and one of the oldest club competitions in the world....


Individual

  • IRB Awards
    IRB Awards
    The IRB Awards are given out annually by the International Rugby Board, the worldwide governing body for rugby union, for major achievement in the sport. They were first awarded in 2001...

    : 1
- Spirit of Rugby Award
  • Unión de Rugby de Buenos Aires
    Unión de Rugby de Buenos Aires
    This article is about a Rugby organization. URBA can also refer to the URBA mass transport system.The Buenos Aires Rugby Union , usually referred as URBA, is the governing body that organises and controls the rugby union in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, as well as the Buenos Aires Provincial...

    : 1
- Cap Honorífico

External links

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