You and Vasco are the only brothers in the World to have reached 100 international test caps for your country, how does that feel?

Its an amazing feeling to be able to share the Centurion experience with my brother, he was there for my first cap and throughout practically my entire international career. We’ve always supported each other and it always felt that we were stronger together, if one was absent we felt we had to play for each other. The fact that we’ve both reach this amazing club its the cherry on top of cake, being able to represent Portugal amongst such legends of our sport its an incredible achievement that it´s hard to explain in a country that doesn’t give credit to Rugby.

The Centurions values are respect, resilience, courage and selfless-commitment. Which is the most important for you and why?

Respect definitely comes first, its a way of life, respect to be respected, and respect the greater good of Rugby, that’s what our sport always taught me. I would say that resilience was the value that I needed the most during my career, its not easy to follow your dreams to become a professional rugby player where the only real supporters you relay is your family. Courage and selfless commitment it’s who we are, it´s part of every player that achieve the Centurions, either you have it within you or you don’t. 

The current pandemic has been extremely challenging for everyone. How have you been affected in Portugal?

This all pandemic situation puts us all and everything in perspective, we have to adapt fast and respond to what’s happening. Family wise it´s been challenging, having 3 kids and my wife due in a few days, we´re trying to do everything to protect them and to make them feel safe, that’s the number one priority. Having a baby in this situation is the biggest concern, we don’t know what to really expect but hopefully everything will workout well and we’ll get through. 

Professional wise, it’s taking the events, brand activation and shopper Marketing industry to another level, every agency it’s reinventing itself in a surviving mode, the ones that survive will become stronger. At @POPgroup we´ll be stronger for sure.

How are you keeping physically and mentally fit during lockdown?

Physically it’s been the easy part, we have been pretty creative at home to keep in shape. Mentally it´s the tough part, I’ve been using all of the resilience learnt in the competition world to thrive, being the most positive myself every day.

We´ve moved to Algarve, in the south of Portugal, so the kids have more place to run around and play. Drawing, painting, legos, family workouts have been part of our daily routine, we are trying to make them understand that this is a special time and soon will be over.

What have you missed about sport over the last few weeks?

Missed all the competition part of it, but mostly the last games of the six nations 2020, specially the game that our fellow man and Centurion Sergio Parisse would probably play his last international game, if someone deserved a last game it would be him, one of the biggest gentleman of the sport.

What’s the first thing you will do after Lockdown has ended?

I will reunite all of the family and friends around a table and celebrate life like it should, with a new baby boy in it!