Side B: The lives of the Cóndores off the pitch

Just three weeks ago, the Cóndores secured the most important victory in their history by beating Canada in Valparaíso and remaining one series away from qualifying for their first World Cup. An incredible victory against a 100% professional team, something that is only happening now in Chile.

“Rugby has always been an amateur sport and it was not until 1995 that it turned professional and the officially professional leagues were created, because in the powers it existed in an occult way. In Chile we don’t only managed to achieve this in January of last year with the creation of Selknam and the American Super League” explains Cristian Rudloff, president of the Rugby Federation.

“We have brought together an efficient technical staff. There are coaches for the different areas of the game and physical trainers. We integrate GPS, kinesiologists, masseurs, nutritionists, doctors, psychologists… More than 16 people provide technical support and knowledge transfer” comments the coxswain about this qualitative leap, which today translates into the successes of the national team during the qualifiers for the World Cup in France.

The training regimen is demanding, as it includes sessions from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., usually Monday through Friday. “After this time, the players focus on their activities. Of course, we always try to leave with lunch, so that there is no mess in the nutrition “ Rudloff points out.

In any case, as it is quite recent, the vast majority of the workforce does not live from rugby and performs other functions. So you can find everything from chefs, doctors and students to meat entrepreneurs.

Matías Dittus (28), one of the key men in the cast directed by Pablo Lemoine, is dedicated to this last category. His business is called La Bodega del Tongua (@labodegadeltongua on Instagram). “It was born because a year ago I asked a demi-huaso friend to give me a lamb to celebrate my birthday, but in the end he gave me Magellan chops and Spectacular malayas. From there we saw that the prices were good and we started selling ribs, malays and from there premium cuts. It started to go well for us and it two months ago we created the most formal company” recount.

The right accessory copes with training and work. “Sometimes I have to get up at 6 a.m. to get some meat, then go pack up and train all morning. What is good is that I am my own boss and there I can fix myself if I have something to do” , comment. And adds: “I distribute the meat myself throughout Santiago. When I’m not there, my parents and my sister help me with that” .

His dream, in addition to devoting himself one hundred percent to rugby, is to be a coach. “I would like to be a scrum and attacking coach and for that I want to go on a trip and train in Ireland or Scotland” he specifies.

Esteban Inostroza (27) is another member of the team. By profession cook and gastronomic administrator, graduate of the Inacap, the right pillar also makes the training compatible with his work.

“I found a job in 2018, in a company called Windberg, which makes granola, and luckily my boss was very flexible with the hours I had, and that made my job a lot easier” details from Uruguay, where he strengthens the U-23 national team.

“I produced the granola. He was the cook who made the mixes and also took part in the whole production chain” adds the native of Maipú.

More recently, he has adapted his role. “Lately, as we’ve been in a pandemic and traveled longer, I’ve filled in and helped out. precise.

Do not forget that the passion for cooking runs in the blood. “The family environment has always been around food. It’s a moment of reunion, and if we add to this that my grandfather had a leisure villa where my father worked for a while, in the end an essence remained, more than for food, for service » He says.

In his case, since childhood, there was interest. “If there was a birthday, I always ended up in the kitchen to lend a hand”, he says, while emphasizing his favorite preparation: “I feel comfortable with desserts, but if I had to choose, I would stick to the chocolate mousse. .” .

One of the figures in the process, which began with Selknam, is Francisco Urroz (28), who is now recovering from a cut to his Achilles tendon, which occurred on July 10. “From there, I fully recover to come back” says the player, who obtained his doctorate degree at the University of Chile.

“I graduated in May and with the rugby and the injury I hadn’t been able to work, but now I’m going to start soon” it is said.

Before the misfortune, the back worked at the Barros Luco hospital, as a medical intern. “I was in support for a few weeks and then they hired us in a clinic” recount.

In a pandemic scenario and so many uncertainties, Urroz has faced complex situations. “The hardest thing was seeing young patients who were very complicated with Covid” precise.

In the future, he hopes to be able to combine medicine with rugby, although for now he will not take any specialization. “To enter a specialty is to withdraw from high-level rugby” Mint.

Augusto Böhme (24) is another example of versatility at the Cóndores. He is a fourth-year physical education student at Andrés Bello University, where he has a scholarship.

“I had to switch to the evening modality, since the training requirements and the time allocated to the Cóndores have not stopped increasing since the start of the new cycle with Pablo Lemoine” reveals about this decision.

Either way, technology has helped adapt to pandemic life. “The virtuality of classes has facilitated this, but it is always a concern to have to be efficient in both directions” precise.

At the same time, the hooker is the DT of Selection M-17. “I had trained under 8 and 10 year olds in my club and I also worked in a school. I received an offer from Dalibor Franulic and I like to devote myself to high performance. It was the best thing that could have happened to me working as a physical education teacher” expresses a life marked by the love of sport, just like that of his teammates, who do the impossible to pursue the dream of inscribing the Cóndores in the history of Chilean rugby.