On this planet of Hollywood glamor and pink carpet occasions, one wouldn’t instantly affiliate actors with the muddy, bodily world of rugby. Nonetheless, a shock look on the current Rugby World Cup by Javier Bardem has made just a few followers look twice. So let’s dig deeper into an sudden chapter of the A-lister’s life that predates his iconic roles in James Bond and No Nation for Outdated Males.
Earlier than turning into a infamous James Bond villain, Bardem was a promising rugby participant who represented Spain on the worldwide stage. The revelation got here to mild as he shared his ardour for the game with RugbyPass TV in the course of the Rugby World Cup France 2023 semi-final match between Argentina and New Zealand.
What has Javier Bardem Mentioned?
Bardem’s journey into rugby started on the tender age of 9, and he continued to play into his early 20s. “I performed for Spain. I like it; it’s my ardour,” Bardem enthusiastically revealed, portray an image of an aspiring younger actor grappling with the bodily calls for of the rugby discipline.
Nonetheless, it might shock many to be taught Bardem’s on-field place – a tighthead prop. That is on the vanguard of the scrum, and we doubt he would have had a stunt double right here! Alongside his brother Carlos, they have been affectionately generally known as ‘Los mendrugos,’ a moniker which means the onerous a part of the bread. The Bardem brothers would drop this title once they made their manner into appearing, nonetheless.
The humour wasn’t misplaced on Javier as he drew a comparability between the dangers of dealing with a 140-kilo opponent on the sector and the relative security of a movie set. And regardless of ending his rugby journey ending on the age of 23, his attendance at rugby fixtures just like the current Rugby World Cup matches reveals his enduring love and respect for the sport has not waned: “It’s my favorite sport of all of them due to the ethics, due to the union of the staff, due to the respect to the man gamers and the referees.”
He made the comparability that enjoying rugby in Spain was akin to being a bullfighter in Japan. And, regardless of the preliminary lack of recognition for rugby in Spain, Bardem expressed gratitude for the rising assist it has garnered in current instances. Rugby has come a good distance in Spain.
The Historical past of Spanish Rugby
A fast historical past lesson reveals that rugby grew to become prevalent in Spain within the early 1900s, with early challenges in the course of the Spanish Civil Struggle slowing its progress. After World Struggle I, the game regained momentum, and the Spanish Rugby Federation was established in 1923. Regardless of historic setbacks, rugby developed in areas like Madrid, Valladolid, Basque Nation, and Catalonia.
Spain’s nationwide staff, rating 18th globally, arguably peaked in 1999 once they certified for that 12 months’s Rugby World Cup. Nonetheless, they proceed to compete and have success within the Rugby Europe Championship. The game’s reputation has grown, with over 37,000 registered gamers in 332 golf equipment as of 2019, and up to date occasions, just like the Copa del Rey de Rugby closing, counsel it is just going to get larger and greater.
Rugby Followers and Javier Bardem: A Love Story
Followers and followers took to social media to precise their newfound respect for Bardem as a rugby fanatic, with many expressing pleasure and shock at this sudden side of his life. The revelation not solely provides an enchanting layer to Bardem’s multifaceted character but in addition serves as a reminder that passions and pursuits can take sudden and numerous types, even for these gracing the silver display screen.
