He doesn’t like coffee, which previously he replaced by 5 Coca Colas per day. He was being treated by a dietician and an endocrinologist, but one night he decided that he didn’t need outside help to lose weight and that he would do it on his own.
We arrange to meet at his office, in the main square of Valladolid. After several minutes of greetings and a few photos, we went out to eat lamb snacks to help us to stand the cold that we would suffer from on the rugby field.
Talking to him, it seems as if he has lived two lives, particularly in the professional field, because at the age of 18 he decided that he wanted to go to work, and since then he hasn’t stopped.
I was surprised to see your desk. It was completely organised, as if nobody was doing any work on it.
I admit that I am obsessive-compulsive about tidiness, and if I don’t have everything just so, I can’t work. At home I am the same: all my t-shirts and jerseys are ordered perfectly by colour.
I suppose that you have very strong will power, because losing 30 kilos without any outside help is not any easy task, is it?
Possibly. One night I decided that the only person who had to stop eating was me, and not the endocrinologist. So, I started little by little, and I am still doing it, but I am in no hurry. I used to have supper and then go back for more, but now I don’t. I have replaced all the sugar-filled soft drinks that I used to drink with boring cups of tea.
Do you need a certain weight to play rugby?
In the higher divisions, yes, you do; it is a matter of strength, of pushing in the scrum. If you play on the front line, you have to weigh more and be stronger, although you may be slower. On the second line, you can weigh less. There are other positions where you need to be faster or more agile; it just depends on where you play. In rugby, there is room for any physical build, but now I play in the regional league.
How old were you when you started playing rugby?
I started late, at the age of 22, while at Valladolid University, in the regional division I still play in now. I play with and against 20-year-old lads and I really should be with the veterans, but they still keep me there. I am also a coach at the Rugby Arroyo School, a team that works very well in the lower categories and that has turned into one big family. I enjoy rugby with my children, who are also fans, and my wife, who supports us turning the matches into family outings.
How often do you play?
I coach a children’s category two days a week. I have a great time and it helps me relax.
What do you like about this minority sport?
For me, rugby is like going to a psychologist; you can focus on many things when you see someone with a ball and you have to tackle him. It relaxes you a great deal because it is a contact sport and you burn off lots of adrenaline. It is medicinal. It is also the only two hours when I do not have my telephone with me. This doesn’t happen when I am riding my motorbike or when I go skiing because I have headphones with intercoms and, in the middle of a song or an activity, I have to answer the phone. Furthermore, I would say that rugby is a hooligan’s game played by gentlemen; on the other hand, football is a gentleman’s game played by hooligans. Let me explain: addressing or arguing with the referee is not allowed, your captain has to do it for you. It is a strategy sport, with certain codes. The famous third half after a game involves inviting the visiting team to have a drink and, at the end, the local team makes a guard of honour for the rivals in gratitude for their having come to play. Our greatest value is respect.
Rugby has undergone many changes in recent years, though. Years ago, many violent actions were permitted, which today would not be allowable as player safety is the top priority.
Does Valladolid have anything to do with rugby?
It is the birthplace of Spanish rugby. We have two teams, which compete at top level, Salvador and Vrac, which are the two teams with the most league championships and King’s cups in their hands. The problem is that rugby is left as a minority sport because it does not compete in a World Championship. This would definitely change its image. Moreover, the number of federation memberships has increased by leaps and bounds in recent years, so we are moving in the right direction.
And what do you use your motorbike for?
I belong to a motorbike club called Rippers; the truth is it is a club of friends who use our motorbikes as an excuse for getting together, having barbecues or riding routes, as well as taking part in large gatherings, such as the Valladolid Penguins, in which over 40,000 bikers take part.
On more than one occasion, when talking about the jobs you have done, I remember that you are a constant source of surprises.
I have worked in many areas because at the age of 18 I decided that I no longer wanted to live off my parents, and that’s what I did.
But you were also studying, and isn’t that slightly incompatible?
Yes, that is true. I was studying Business Administration and Management, but I worked on anything I could. I learnt very early on that money doesn’t grow on trees. I started working weekends in the hotel and restaurant trade, and I spent my youth working on many different jobs at the same time.
What is the most unique job you have had?
Over 20 years ago, I worked as a nightclub bouncer all over Spain, and I also worked in a company run by some friends arranging music tours and setting up stages. In Castilla-Leon we were in charge of all the security: the number of uniformed security guards, auxiliaries, control over accesses and to the pit. I worked for over twelve years on the concert circuit in Castilla-Leon and travelling with tours of groups such as Amaral, el Canto del Loco, Bisbal, Maná, Bruce Springsteen, etc.
And other jobs?
My other jobs have been more steady, and with more normal working hours. I worked at Volkswagen for two years, in the Leche Pascual Group and at Prosegur. And, finally, I set up a marketing agency and this led me to the activity I have carried out for the past 9 years at UNIQ/AFCO.
By the way, what is on your playlist?
I am a great music lover, but I am useless at remembering the names of songs or albums, although I immediately know whether I have heard a song before or not.
I like all kinds of music, but I am very much a fan of the eighties and nineties. I love electronic music and some of my favourites are Mike Oldfield, Depeche Mode or OMD. I am a rock fan, but I also like pop, heavy metal and even zarzuela. I have even nosed around in rap, reggaeton and trap. If I am driving, while travelling, classical music is good company. I think that each activity in the day has its own music. Before a match, I play some Marea to speed my pulse up. After the match, I listen to Juan Luis Guerra or 2Cellos. I also like indie music. Sometimes I discover groups while watching TV series and I look them up. Without music, life would be a mistake.
