On the big stage
Larenas carries against Samoa at last year’s World Cup
MY NORTH Star.” That’s how José Ignacio Larenas replied to our challenge of trying to describe Chile and Chilean rugby in a few words. The first player to reach the 50-cap milestone for his country, the utility back was also one of the first athletes to turn professional in Chile, a challenging moment of his career and one that he hopes will inspire future generations.
“Everything I’ve done in my sports life was with one goal in sight: to play for Chile. I wanted to be a Condor. It was my motivation, shaping me into who I am right now.”
Born and raised in Santiago, the 35-year-old remembers well the amateur-to-professional transition in 2018; how it changed Chile’s future and what sacrifices needed