LONG READ Mateo Sanguinetti: 'Rugby changed my life - I want to keep playing until I can't any longer'

If you were to meticulously examine Uruguay’s record over the past 12 years, you would find a handful of names who have repeatedly represented Los Teros, including Mateo Sanguinetti.

The loosehead prop has been a fixture for Uruguay, appearing in 96 of their past 120 matches, just 12 caps shy of eclipsing Diego Magno’s all-time record of 107.

However, for Sanguinetti, becoming a Test centurion was never the ultimate goal, far from it, as the 33-year-old only sought to help Uruguay in any way he could.

“It is just a number for me. It isn’t something I am actively chasing. Ten, 20, 50, 90 or 100 caps, it doesn’t matter to me how many there are. For me, playing for the Teros is one of the greatest pleasures in life. Again, it’s a number. I want to keep playing for Uruguay until I can’t any longer.”

Sanguinetti’s adventure in the world of rugby began when he was 10, when he followed an uncle’s footsteps and became a member of Los Cuervos, a historical club from Montevideo. Rugby became more than a hobby; it became his passion, a passion his parents backed as long as he didn’t act up.

“My parents always supported me playing rugby but they would threaten to pull me out of the sport if I misbehaved. Every single time I was doing something, well, let’s say less good, they would make that threat, and I would immediately behave myself!”

Sanguinetti viewed the oval ball as a companion that inspired him to improve while enjoying time with friends, a tenet which holds true today. He played lock and hooker before settling in the number one shirt, representing Uruguay at U18 and U20 levels, and playing for an Uruguay XV at the 2012 Americas Rugby Championship.

“As our local premiership was happening at the same time, there were a few players who were not available for the tour to Canada. They called me and asked if I would be keen to join the team in our training grounds located in Charrúa.

Pablo wanted us to perform at a high level in our first World Cup since 2003. I can’t lie, it was tough, but it paid off massively in the end.

“While it was far from my home, I went there and trained and then a player got injured, and I ended up getting the call and my first representative caps.”

His Test debut would only happen two years later, when he came off the bench to face Paraguay for the Sudamericano. It was then he fully settled as a prop, all thanks to coach Pablo Lemoine.

“I still remember playing one or two games as a lock for Los Teros, but Pablo Lemoine made a huge effort for me to only focus on becoming a loosehead prop. I didn’t have the height to be a Test lock, and Pablo thought I had the talent and resources to mature into a solid prop.”

Under Lemoine’s mentorship, the Sanguinetti had the chance to play in his first World Cup only one year after earning his first cap. After missing out on the 2007 and 2011 editions, Uruguay were back in the fold with Lemoine leading a group of players determined to turn a new leaf for their country.

“The build-up to the 2015 World Cup pushed me to the limit,” he says. “Pablo wanted us to perform at a high level in our first World Cup since 2003. I can’t lie, it was tough, but it paid off massively in the end.

“That World Cup was the most special for me. You know what it’s like to play your first World Cup game at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff? And then face England at the City of Manchester Stadium? It was an environment you simply can’t forget. For me, it was a ludicrous experience.”

However, it was in the next tournament, in 2019, the prop experienced perhaps the most emblematic game of his long career, a 30-27 victory against Fiji.

“That Fiji game. If people knew what we went through… We trained a lot to get our bodies and minds ready for that pool and especially for that game. [Renowned strength and conditioning specialist] Craig White worked wonders with us, strengthening our team to the very core. He enabled us to inspire and believe in ourselves, and that was how we beat Fiji.”

The word passion encapsulates every single experience, moment and episode that I have lived in rugby.

Because of Los Teros, Sanguinetti was able to cross several dreams off his childhood list: playing France in France; qualifying Uruguay for a World Cup in a game hosted in Montevideo; and facing the All Blacks at a World Cup. He represented his boyhood club, Penarol, while playing professionally in the USA and France with RC Massy.

In the end, it was Uruguay and his time with the national team that brought about those transformative experiences in his life.

“Yeah, it certainly changed my life. I looked to the Teros as a benchmark, something I wanted to reach and be part of. Fortunately, I did earn that shot, and since 2010, they have been part of my life and journey.”

Rather than chasing stats, Sanguinetti is on the hunt to help Uruguay continue their rise, with the impending Nations Cup presenting a perfect platform for the Teros to develop further. They will take on Georgia, Romania and Hong Kong China on successive July weekends.

“The Nations Cup is going to be a very good competition for us, as we are playing against strong teams while going on tour, which are experiences that strengthen the team. These are the challenges we need ahead of the World Cup.”

With the possibility of joining the select club of players who have participated in four editions of the World Cup, the Montevideo native says he savours every moment with the same energy and excitement as if they were happening for the first time.

“Over time and through more games, I learned to enjoy each moment more, and every World Cup is special to me. Of course, I want to be in the team for 2027, because it would be my last and I would get to share the field with my friends.”

In the end, Sanguinetti continues to hold the same feelings he had when he was 10 years old, when he would pick up the oval ball and trample over his opponents.

“The word passion encapsulates every single experience, moment and episode that I have lived in rugby.

“It summarises my whole life, and it is something that I will hold on to until the day I am no longer here. I don’t know when it will be, but I know that I will be in love with rugby.”