Scrum of the Earth /

Can you believe it’s almost a year to the day that Felipe Contepomi kicked Argentina into a record-breaking World Cup semi-final? Well 2007 was a great year all round for the Pumas star, realising another life’s ambition by becoming a doctor. Speaking as an ambassador for Rugby Expo, Dr. Phl became ScrumoftheEarth’s latest patient…

Despite results, have Argentina made progress since the World Cup?

It’s hard times for the team with so many symbolic first-choice senior players retiring, so this year has been a very important transitional year for us. We’ve moved on, maybe not as quickly as I would’ve liked or would’ve expected, but with new personnel, a new president and a new secretary, there’s a fresh approach, so it’s more of a four-year plan to the next World Cup.

Would progress be speeded up in the northern or southern hemisphere?

It’s hard to say. The short-term solution would be in Europe. We have proved that we can compete against any team up here. The southern hemisphere teams are probably a bit ahead of us at the moment, but our long-term future should be placed in the hands of the southern hemisphere. Argentina could definitely benefit the Tri-Nations - it’s lacking something - it’s not getting bigger and bigger each year like the Six Nations.

Why do Argentineans love Europe so much?
 
The professional structure gives you the possibility to play with your friends and earn a living from something that you are very passionate about. In the last ten years, European rugby has grown as quickly as any sport in the world.

You’re a well-travelled man, what are your favourite cities?

Buenos Aires is great city to live in, but Sydney, Cape Town and Edinburgh are all very beautiful.

Is Buenos Aires still very much home?

My blood will always be in Buenos Aires. Dublin is a great city to live in but having been born there, lived there, it’s everything to me.

Do you miss it much?

I miss my family and friends and all of the small details like the local food and playing a bit of five-a-side soccer.

How did your childhood prepare you for life over in Europe?

I was lucky to play in both the amateur and professional days - they both touched me a lot - and it’s something i’m very proud of. When I was a teenager if you’d asked me what i’d like to be? I would’ve said “I want to be a doctor.” It’s very different because rugby is still an amateur sport, so you’d study all week and play just on the weekend - it’s the normal way.
 
Would you encourage players to make a career outside of rugby?

I’d encourage them to follow their dreams. I can’t encourage someone to study if he doesn’t want to, especially as a doctor. It’s not on. No one likes to study, not even me. Nowadays, a lot of people want to be a rugby player, but growing up, rugby was always just a game to me and I still treat it like that, even though it is the main source of income and the reason why i’m in Europe.

Has your enthusiasm for medicine helped with your rugby?

It’s helped my well-being. If you have a dream and you follow and work hard at it with all your passion, it makes you better in all facets of life. I wanted to be a doctor and studied hard and it taught me to be patient, industrious and disciplined.

And has medicine changed your perspective on rugby?

My daughter has changed my attitude more than medicine. With medicine, you do an exam and if it doesn’t go as well you would’ve hoped, you are frustrated. But my daughter shows me that - you can lose a game or do badly in an exam - life is much more than that. It helps not putting all of your eggs in one basket and being able to cope when something’s going wrong, either on the pitch or at home. The important parts of life keep me strong.

What’s been your greatest challenge?

Being a good father. I only get nervous before exams - you don’t want to be near my house one-week prior to a big exam - whereas one week before a big game I’ll be OK. I like to enjoy it more. I learned to play in the park and rugby is just a game, even playing in front of so many people in big stadiums.

You are an ambassador for so many people but was it something you were born with?

You’re not born as an ambassador or a captain - you have to learn a lot first. There’s always something in your personality that makes you a good leader but you must find it in your own way. Whether it is in life, in a team, or a game, but it definitely comes from maximising experiences with friends and teammates.

Some captains are good preachers, others talk with their actions, and some are loud, some not so much. There’s not one truth or one way to be a good captain, leader or ambassador. You must do it in your own way and people will respect you for it.

Has practicing medicine and playing rugby helped you with trusting people?

Rugby is very educational and prepares you for many areas in life. Medicine is much easier, but has the same principles. You must work as a team, not as a single doctor or a player. That’s why I picked a team sport because I like to trust people. If I didn’t trust other people I would have been a golfer. That is the great challenge of being in a team - to try and get everyone in same symphony - and making sure the person next to you would work as hard as you to achieve your goals.

Sounds like you are a perfectionist?

I aim for perfection. I believe that perfection per se doesn’t exist. There is always room for improvement. Perfection doesn’t exist because you can always be better. That should be your daily routine, to wake up every day with the goal of perfection.

If rugby was your patient, where would you start operating?

Rugby is finding its way. It’s a young patient that needs to be coached and educated rather than sliced open with a scalpel and treated. It’s a fit person but it needs educating to make sure it has a good, healthy long life.

Couldn’t agree more. You were up for the IRB Player of the Year last year, who deserves it this time?

Dan Carter is the best player in the world. He plays with expert management skills and makes players rise to his high standards, which is a very special talent. He appears in the big moments and that makes a huge difference.