Brazil's captain Eshyllen Coimbra on how Rio 2016 Olympics changed her life

Whoever said that a young girl from Rio de Janeiro with humble beginnings couldn’t become her country’s captain and lead them in their first-ever Rugby World Cup, for Brazil men’s or women’s teams?

Eshyllen Coimbra is the Brazilian girl who dreamt of reaching the oval ball’s pinnacle.

The 24-year-old lock was born and raised in the vibrant but restless cosmopolitan Rio de Janeiro, having met adversity early on. With the help of her family, Coimbra overcame every new hurdle and found joy in sports, mainly with volleyball.

Contrary to rugby, volleyball is a sport where Brazil have won more than a few Olympic medals, reaching the women’s World Championship in 2022, with most of their players being professional athletes.

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However, even with all the glamour, volleyball was thrown into second place when Coimbra discovered the exotic world of rugby.

“Rugby came to my life when I was 13, through the Rugby Para Todos programme. As I was playing volleyball, I juggled between rugby and volleyball every weekend, giving my best every time I was called to play. However, it all would change in 2016.”

2016 was the year of the Rio Summer Olympics, a special event that brought the very best of each sport into the colourful, rich canvas of one of Brazil’s most historical cities.

Being the hosts, Brazil was one of the 12 teams qualified for the men’s and women’s sevens tournament, gifting local players and fans a chance to experience the enticing nature of seven-aside. For Coimbra, it was a life-defining moment.

“I went to watch Brazil play in the 2016 Summer Olympics, and my immediate reaction was ‘I want to be there. I want to be doing what they are doing’. I had encountered my first crossroads and decided to focus only on rugby. I worked hard every day, and eventually I was invited to enlist in the union’s player development programme.”

Being 16 at the time, Coimbra poured every single minute of her free time to rugby, working her way up from the Rugby Para Todos project to Guanabara Rugby Clube. Eventually she earned a call up to the Brazilian sevens national camps, and in under a few months she was added to the World Series roster.

“2018 was my first call for the Yaras sevens, and it was such a fun moment, it was also my first time travelling abroad, as we were bound for Vancouver. The pageant of teams, new cultures, different languages, etc. I was marvelled by all of it. I didn’t even have time to be nervous, as I was completely drenched in happiness. And the cherry on top: my first sevens opposition was the Black Ferns!”

After touring with the sevens for the next five years, in which she had the opportunity to play in the 2020 Olympics (played in 2021), Coimbra was invited to the newly rebuilt 15s programme, saying yes to the new challenge.

Coming from the sevens side of the sport, many expected her to be selected as a backline unit or to the back row, but Emiliano Caffera and Maximiliano Bustos, Brazil’s head coach and set-piece coach, had other ideas.

“Emiliano and Maximiliano looked at me and said, ‘You are going to be a lock’ and I just replied with a ‘Let’s go, I’m ready’. Maybe it was due to my aerial skills, or that I am not afraid to jump high in the lineout. Whatever the reason was, I accepted the challenge, and I was not going to back down from it.”

But the novelties didn’t end there, as the newly bred second row would receive the highest honour that any player can dream of… becoming her country’s captain. Ironically it didn’t come with a flashy announcement, as Coimbra herself states.

“I was selected as Brazil’s captain after a training match against Melina [a Brazilian rugby club]. Our head coach told me, ‘You are now the captain’ and I immediately said ‘yes’. I felt proud, and I wasn’t going to second-guess his decision. I embraced the responsibility, and it has helped me define who I am and who I want to be.”

Coimbra, who dreamed of becoming a volleyball player, had grown to become a sevens international, to an Olympian and now captain of the 15s, accomplishing all these feats at an incredibly fast pace. Yet, for her, becoming a Yara was the biggest achievement of them all, as it was more than a symbol or a mythological reference to Brazil’s native history.

“To be a Yara means to be able to sacrifice everything to help the greater good, to fight for a common cause and to open new paths for others to walk through. The mythological story of Yara inspires us all, as she fought against her family to be able to become the greatest warrior of her tribe. We are just like her, but in rugby form.”

She delivers a passionate statement about her and her teammates’ commitment to Brazil and why they are ready to go beyond human limits.

“When the game starts, we shrug all fears and doubts and go for it. We love our country, and to represent it means more than wearing the same shirt. It defines us, it gives us purpose, it instils in us the will to dream and to achieve greatness. It doesn’t matter how many caps; what matters is that we play like it is our last game.”

Because of their commitment, passion and sacrifice, the Yaras came out of their shells at the right time, successfully qualifying for the 2025 Rugby World Cup after beating Colombia in a must-win clash. Coimbra opens up about what emotions transpired before, during and after that historic event.

“We went into that game with just one goal: to win. While it can seem a straightforward thing to do, I like to remind everyone that we had never defeated them prior to that game. So, for us, we had to dig deep to get that result and earn a World Cup qualification. When the dust had settled, we had done it. We had made Brazil proud.”

Celebrations ensued, and players embraced each other, marvelling at what they had just accomplished. Coimbra recalls the next morning, and realising she was going to play in a World Cup.

“I remember waking up and thinking ‘Damn, we are really going to play in a World Cup. What are our next steps?’. It was our first ever World Cup qualification, so we knew we had to start working extra hours to get ready for it. We want to impress everyone, and that has been our mindset since 29th June 2024.”

After that sensational result, the Yaras have continued to evolve and are becoming a fiercer contestant, having unleashed all of their might against Portugal, USA ‘Falcons’, Spain and Colombia in the last 10 months. With Coimbra as their skipper, many in the Brazilian rugby community see her as a legend, a status that she rejects.

“I am not a legend, as I am still alive and breathing! In all seriousness, I understand my role in rugby due to my origins, race and culture. I know that girls look up to me and desire to have the same future as I have. I have to keep inspiring the new generations. It isn’t a burden; it is a mission and one that I happily accept.”

Understanding her role, the utility forward has consistently evolved throughout the years, taking in new challenges like a journalism degree which she is currently finishing.

“I want to be a sports reporter. I don’t know how I fit everything into the same schedule, but I’ll do it! Rugby is my priority, and I have been fully committed to it. However, I also understand that rugby isn’t forever, and I need to have a craft or a job for what comes next.

“I know this is going to sound a bit weird, but I am already dreaming about playing in the 2029 Rugby World Cup. I would like to play in the Olympics again, and, who knows, even go abroad and sign a contract with a top club!

“At times, it can seem there are too many things happening at the same time, but I have matured because of it, and I am not giving up on any of my dreams.”