Sport Lisboa e Benfica’s player
Linha de Ensaio had the pleasure of talking with Sofia Nobre
Name: Sofia Osório Nobre Ferreira Goes
Age: 51 years old.
Position: Several, but lately second row
Club: Sport Lisboa e Benfica
Caps: Portugal 7s (1)
Trophies:
Many but they’re in the past. The most important one is always the next one as well as keeping the challenge alive.
Quick round:
Favourite Club?
Sport Lisboa e Benfica
National team you love to watch?
New Zealand
Favourite players (Portuguese and foreigner)?
Best player (male): my father, Carlos Nobre
Best player (female): my daughter, Matilde Goes
Best foreign players: very hard to choose but Antoine Dupont (France), Michael Hooper (Australia), Charlotte Caslick (Australia), and Poppy Cleal (England).
If you could pick any position, where would you like to play?
I must say, I’ve played in a lot of different positions (apart from prop due to my weight), so I’d pick the one that would give me the most adrenaline rush. They’re all amazing and I just want to play, doesn’t matter where.
Highlights of your career?
In Portugal: the first time I became national champion with Benfica.
Abroad: The Flandres Open Rugby final that we won. 10,000 people on the stands cheering for Portugal. Impossible to forget.
Beach rugby: Playing a final against a French team at the Beach Rugby in Figueira da Foz (2014).
How old were you when you started playing rugby? How did it happen?
I started I’ve been playing rugby under the Portuguese Rugby Union since 2000 but I’ve been tossing the ball around since I was a child. Before 2000, I played only every now and again as there wasn’t a regular competition in Portugal
How did it all start?
I have always had the dream of being a rugby player, but there wasn’t enough women in Portugal playing it. It was the Beach Rugby championships that provided a platform for women’s rugby in Portugal – by playing on the beach, it attracted more people to the sport.
In the year 2000, the then president of the Portuguese Rugby Union, Pedro Ribeiro, challenged me to launch a woman’s competition in Portugal and, since then, it has never stopped growing.
What are the biggest challenge that you found in women’s Portuguese rugby?
The comitment from the players. For one to reach a high level in rugby, it takes a lot of regular practice. It is important that people understand this so they can reach their goals in rugby.
What does women’s rugby in Portugal look like? What’s the biggest challenge that it faces?
It is growing. We really took a big leap forward by creating a regular national competition where players can be part of, week in and week out. The biggest challenge is to bring more athletes to the sport.
Is the situation very different from men’s rugby?
It’s very, very different. There’s no comparison possible.
How did women’s rugby evolve in Portugal in the last few years?
Women’s rugby grew a lot and up to 2015 we had a national rugby XIII competition, plus the Portuguese Cup and 7s at the end of the season.
In 2017, Rugby 7s became an Olympic sport and the Rugby Union decided to focus solely on it, extinguishing the XIII competitions. This drove a lot of players out of the sport and it was very dificult to keep players motivated. A whole season of Rugby 7s, it was tricky…
Now, with our regular XV league, things are much better.
Have you ever felt a bit of judgement for playing a sport that is traditionally associated with men?
My father always said that what’s important it’s the love of the sport. It doesn’t matter if it’s men, women, children. The important thing is that they can play. I must confess that I love this game so much, that I have never felt judged – shame to those who judge others! My husband is very supportive and he also loves rugby, I couldn’t ask for me.
What would you like to see improving in Portuguese rugby?
I’d love to see an improvement of the training conditions, especially in smaller clubs. There are a lot of areas that need improvement but it’d be amazing to see women’s rugby to be more respected.
What does your rugby week look like? Do you have a good support structure in your club?
I think that the sport’s popularity has increased quite a lot and, as a consequence, there are more people watching rugby. A I train three times a week and I go to the gym once or twice a week more, depending on my availability and our match schedule. Fortunately my club, Benfica, has a good structure and it has gotten better with time.
What kind of evolution have you seen in Portuguese rugby? Do you think it’s a sport that people can access easily?
The main differences that I have seen have to do with the quality of the players involved and with the speed of the match – there has been a huge upgrade in recent years.
I think that rugby is a very accessible sport. It doesn’t matter the kind of body one has, there is always a position on the pitch for those who want to play.
How easy is it to follow Portuguese rugby? How do you see the media’s coverage of the sport?
Nowadays, with social media, it’s much easier to follow rugby and be up-to-date with what’s happening. Regarding the media’s coverage, unfortunately, I feel that it’s easier to write news if things are not going well than the other day around. I think that Portuguese rugby, because of the excellent results that it has obtained recently, deserves to be on the spotlight a bit more.
Anything else you’d like to see Linha de Ensaio focussing on?
Nothing – surprise me!
