The learning curve of Jaime Urquijo Zobel

Based on the empirical evidence it is safe to say that the universe likes Jaime Urquijo more than it likes you or me.

Jaime Urquijo is over six feet tall, with thick brown hair and brown eyes. He is broad of shoulder and muscular of build, as befits a member of the national rugby team, except that he has the face of a cherub in a nativity scene. If rugby union were not governed by a code of gentlemanly behavior, the opposing flanker might feel compelled to plant a boot on his face. (“Take that, guy from Dawson’s Creek!”) He has a charming, unplaceable accent — British but not exactly, Spanish when he pronounces names, a bit of the American Midwest, a bit of New York.

He is a Zobel de Ayala, son of Bea Jr, grandson of Don Jaime, nephew of Jaime Augusto, cousin of Jaime Alfonso. (You’d think the rich could spring for some new names.) His path through life will likely be smoother than ours. What could possibly go wrong for this creature? 

“My mom insisted that on all official documents my name be written as Jaime Urquijo Zobel de Ayala (Spanish style, mother’s name last). Recently I was filling out a social security form and my name wouldn’t fit,” he laughs.

Aha, self-deprecating humor. The ploy used by those who have too much to assure others that their lives aren’t as great as all that. But we are on to Jaime Urquijo. If he wanted to make us feel better he’d start by announcing that he has 10 dead, blackened toenails.

“I’ve never been good with my feet,” he reveals. “I lived in Spain between the ages of one and seven, and I attended a French school. When I was eight I was sent to a boarding school in England called All Hallows. It’s assumed that every Spaniard is good at soccer — We’re going to be soccer champions! But not with these feet.

Jaime Urquijo, jersey number 6, in the scrum.

“Then I was introduced to rugby and I loved it. Initially my mom said no, but I was away at school…” He started out as a prop — the big guys in the front row who fight for possession — but moved to flanker as he got taller. He continued playing at his next school, Worth. 

Jaime decided to go to college in the US. “I liked the fact that in American universities you don’t have to declare a major until the third year.” While visiting Northwestern University in Chicago with his mom, he suggested a side trip to Notre Dame University in Indiana. “This is a cheesy story. In Notre Dame they showed us this feel-good video about the American way, and I knew right there that I would go to Notre Dame.”

Except that the university, which is famous for its sports teams, did not have a rugby team. “Notre Dame had a rugby team going back to the ‘60s, but it was disbanded in the ‘90s.” Something about the team going to New Orleans and selling the school bus…

In his freshman year Jaime and his friends organized an unofficial rugby team. “Notre Dame has the Fighting Irish, so we called ourselves the Outside Irish and played against Loyola, De Paul and other schools. We traveled on weekends to play rugby, and we got good results — 9 wins, 1 loss, 1 draw.”

The summer after his freshman year, varsity rugby was reinstated under the guidance of the USA Under-17s coach. Jaime lived in a house off-campus with his closest friends, the members of the rugby team. They did their own chores. There were laundry issues. Good times. They competed at collegiate rugby sevens. Jaime was team captain. By senior year Notre Dame rugby was ranked 23rd in the US. “If you’re into rugby, you realize it’s everywhere,” he notes. “I went to Fort Lauderdale and immediately found 20 guys who played rugby. They just came out of the woodwork.”

Meanwhile Jaime took an elective in political science and enjoyed it so much he decided to be a Poli Sci major. At the same time he and his friends formed the Entrepreneurs Club, which started with five members and ended up with 250. Apart from 50 market research and business projects in the South Bend area, they also launched a speaker series and a magazine called Type E. Summers he did some traveling — Egypt, Peru, Palau, Namibia where he drove around with his cousin in a car with a tent on top.

In his senior year he learned that the Philippines has a rugby team, and that, being Filipino on his mother’s side, he was eligible to play. “My uncle told me that the Philippine Rugby Football Union was holding tryouts in Sydney. I flew to Australia, met Coach Expo (Mejia), attended training camp, and stayed with our captain Lettsy (Michael Letts). It was one of the coolest experiences of my life.”

Just before graduation Jaime was selected for the Philippine team that went to the A5N Division II championships in New Delhi in 2010. The Volcanoes, the lowest-ranked team in the tournament, shocked the top-seed Thais in the semis and went on to beat hometown favorite India in the final. “It was a very physical game,” he recalls. “The Indian players were bigger and they had the crowd behind them. The scores hide how tough the match was. The Saunders brothers, Oliver, Matt and Ben, were awesome. I had never been so tired in my life.” 

Today Jaime lives in New York, where he works as an analyst on Wall Street. He shares an apartment uptown with his sister and takes the subway to work. “I’m usually up at 5:30 a.m. to go to the gym, it’s the only time I have. By 8 a.m. I’m in the office. Tuesdays and Thursdays I’m out by 8 p.m. and I attend training sessions with the Village Lions. On weekends I play rugby. I get 20 days off every year.”

Nearly half of that vacation time went to preparations for the test match between the Philippine and Hong Kong rugby teams last April 16. Though our side was clobbered by the much-higher-ranked opponent, it marked Philippine rugby’s entry to the big time. Two years ago Hong Kong would not have accepted an invitation from the Philippines. 

Lineout: Urquijo times his jump.

“Give credit to the Philippines, they manned up and were very physical in defense,” said HK coach Dai Rees. “They have some size and athleticism and I think they will acquit themselves very well in Korea and have a bright future in Asian rugby. They kept at us right through the game but we kept our composure, retained our shape and the experience at the elite level of Asian rugby held through. The more experience the Philippines gets like this the better they and Asian rugby will be for it.” Despite losing the friendly, the Philippines remains the only undefeated team (besides Japan) in A5N rugby.

Next month Jaime will be spending the rest of his vacation time training in Manila and playing in Korea.

The Philippine Volcanoes are as close as brothers, if your brothers are brawny athletes who keep taking off their shirts in the tropical heat. Next to his fellow Volcanoes Jaime is a paragon of modesty. “If I had a body like theirs I’d take my clothes off too,” he laughs.

Of course we had to ask Jaime whether he intended to work for the Ayala Corporation. “I honestly have no idea,” he says. “I just want to go out and learn as much as possible.” 

Outside the restaurant a sales agent hands him a brochure for Ayala Land condos. Ah, a test! Would he bristle and point out the absurdity? Would he have a “Kilala mo ba kung sino ako?” (Do you know who I am?) moment? Would he at least snigger?

Jaime Urquijo accepts the brochure graciously and says thank you. He does not chuck it into the nearest trash bin. It’s still in his hand when he goes into the bookstore. 

That’s just annoying.

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We cover the Philippine Volcanoes at JessicaRulestheUniverse.com.