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Love is in the Aires

Jenny Dixon
30/ 1/2008

SHARKS back row Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe flew to Argentina earlier this week to prepare for his forthcoming wedding in Buenos Aires.

Originally scheduled for June, Lobbe and his girlfriend decided to move the civil part of their marriage ceremony forward by four months in order to aid his rugby career.

Lobbe proposed to his Argentinian girlfriend of six years, a year and a half ago, and the couple planned to marry at the end of this season.

However, a break in matches for Sharks has given the couple the opportunity to bring forward their big day to Friday, February 8.

Lobbe’s wife-to-be holds an Italian passport which means, in future, he will be exempt from the frustrating Kolpak agreement, which dictates that Lobbe’s time on the pitch must be shared with Kiwi Luke McAlister and Lobbe’s older brother Ignacio.

Juan Lobbe told the Express: "It’s nothing to do with rugby, we have been together for six years now and we decided to get married, a year and a half ago, in June.

"But then we realised that just moving forward the civil part by four months wasn’t a big step for us... My girlfriend and I decided it would help me to play in England.

"I love playing rugby, I don’t like being outside the pitch, so she supported me on the decision."

The Kolpak agreement limits the number of overseas players, from certain nations including New Zealand, Argentina, Australia and America, permitted to play for a team in regular league fixtures to one, rising to three when international matches are being played on the same weekend.

Moving his marriage forward will mean Lobbe can play the rest of the season without being bound by the rules.

But Lobbe would not have gone ahead with the rescheduled date had he not been able to ensure it took place in Argentina with all of his family and friends present.

"When we decided to move the civil part forward because it will help my development here, one of the very important things was it has to be in Buenos Aires because I want to do it with my family, her family, her friends and my friends there," added Lobbe.

"Philippe [Saint-Andre] is allowing me to go to Argentina and get married with my family and my friends there, because if not I would never do it."

The romantic Argentinian international flew back to his homeland last Saturday after watching Sharks take on Harlequins in the Guinness Premiership on Friday night.

On his player profile [at www.salesharks.com] Lobbe states that his most memorable moment outside rugby is ‘knowing my girlfriend’; and, when asked which three people he would invite to dinner he snubbed celebrities instead opting for: "My girlfriend and family, because they are the persons I most care about."

Lobbe’s older brother and Sharks team-mate Ignacio has also flown to Argentina for the celebrations.