António Machado Santos, a software engineer at Spider Labs' Portuguese office, has been selected as a candidate for the Portugal national rugby team. He will begin training with the team as of June this year.

Comment from António Machado Santos:

“Being selected for the World Cup qualifiers and being able to start training with the national team is very exciting and I feel a sense of accomplishment. Participating in the World Cup has been a dream since I was a child and there are still many challenges ahead, but if everything goes well, I should be able to go to France in September as a representative of Portugal.”

Profile of António Machado Santos:

Name: António Machado Santos

Place of birth: Portugal

Date of birth: June 9, 1998

Team: Belenenses Rugby

Position: Loosehead Prop

Height: 186 cm

Weight: 113 kg

Antonio started playing rugby at the age of 6 and had a 3-year break, but returned at the age of 11. Through playing rugby while studying, he was able to find a great balance between school and sports and lead a healthy life. Antonio believes that playing sports at any level is essential. He is a sports enthusiast who currently works as a software engineer at the Spider Labs Portuguese office and also actively participates as a working athlete, leading a busy life.

The commonality between engineers and rugby players is teamwork, dedicated effort, and a selfless attitude. We asked Antonio some questions about his unique way of working.

Q: How do you balance work and sports?

Antonio: It is not easy, but it is not impossible. Fortunately, I work at a great company that allows me to use my time flexibly. Club practices are always after 7:00 PM, but national team practices are sometimes held during "working hours", so I usually finish my work at night or wake up early the next day. Also, if necessary, I work on weekends to make up for it.

Q: Engineers and rugby players seem very different, but are there any commonalities?

Antonio: The commonality between the two is teamwork, dedicated effort, and a selfless attitude. Like being a member of an engineering team, I am just one player on a rugby team. And in both worlds, there are always people who expect me to give my best, and there is always an environment where we help each other.

Thank you! I expect that the days leading up to the World Cup will be harsh, but we appreciate your support!