Player's portrait: Miguel Valero

*How old are you, where are you from, what's your job?*

I am 38 years old , from Spain (Castellón de la Plana) and I am an official nurse in the Medical Service of the European Parliament in Brussels.

*What about your sport background?*

I did many sports in my life but if I had to choose, the most important in my life would be snowboarding and running (asphalt and trail running).

*How did you start playing rugby? What is difficult to start such an intense sport as a full grown-up?*

I read an article from the EPXV Rugby team looking for people to join them. Something stayed installed in my head, and I was thinking about it from time to time. And I thought, why not try? Rugby is something that is not as typical in Spain (happily, more and more now) as other sports, and maybe if I had stayed there I would not have had the opportunity to try it, so I want to think that our paths ended up crossing and I love it.

About the difficulty to start as an adult, probably is the impression that is going to be dangerous when you do not know the sport well, but after some trainings, you realize that is very respectful and it hooks you to keep practicing it.

*What has been your best memory so far?*

Probably the game in Paris, first international match of a European Parliament team. The ambience, the respect, the good times there. It was amazing!

*How did your integration in the team go? Was it difficult, as a non-politician, to be playing a sport with teammates who are almost all working in politics?*

Not at all, it was all very simple. I think that when we are training or playing, even in the third half after games or training, rugby and friendship go together. People forget for a moment about their lives, and we are all part of a team. It is something that surprised me, everyone is welcome and respected, treated as another player on the team, whatever they do outside of it.

*Anything you are you looking forward to next season?*

Well, I think the level of the team has improved a lot in the last few months, both tactically and physically, but we still have a lot of room for improvement so I want to see the evolution and the path we will take, as well as face new tournaments next year. Who knows, maybe as world champions!