It takes a brave man to sell everything he owns and fly to the other side of the world to follow a dream.
But in chasing his dream, Max Prieto has found another family.
The 31-year-old sold his heavy machinery business in his homeland of Chile to travel 11,000 kilometres, all to play a higher level of rugby.
Prieto arrived in the Sutherland Shire in November and, upon advice from his brother and a friend, made his way down to Foreshaw Rugby Park.
Immediately, Southern Districts had their newest Rebel.
Speaking to The Leader, Prieto said it had been the biggest decision of his life.
“I always wanted to travel,” he said.
“I started to play rugby really old, I think I’m the oldest player in the team.
“Someday I decided to sell everything and come to Australia, it was the better destination to come and improve my level of rugby.
“That’s why I’m here, to follow my dreams.”
A relative latecomer to rugby, Prieto only began playing at the age of 22 in La Serena in Chile’s north.
He played almost eight years in the back row with his former club San Bartolome where he learned the game – and developed a love for it.
“You learn a lot of good things like loyalty. You have to work and be humble. I like the way of the sport. I think it is not a sport, it’s a way of life,” he said.
“It’s more than a game, you have friends, you have family.”
“You learn a lot of good things like loyalty. You have to work and be humble. I like the way of the sport. I think it is not a sport, it’s a way of life.”
- Max Prieto
Prieto said he was adapting to the quicker, more skillful rugby played in Sydney.
“It’s tough, because I’m the oldest guy,” he said.
“I have to compete with guys maybe 23 [or] 24 [years old], almost 10 years less than me.
“The level of physicality is not too much different because in South America we play very physical rugby.
“But in skills and speed it is 10-times faster.
“Plus I speak another language, I only started to speak English really often about four months ago.”
The Rebels suffered a 27-15 loss to Eastwood last weekend but will want to bounce back and build on their good start to the season when they face struggling Parramatta on Saturday.
Souths are in sixth place in the Shute Shield and Prieto, who has already made three appearances off the bench in first grade so far this season, said he would continue to chase that elusive start for the first team.
“I realised my first dream which was to play in first grade,” he said.
“I said to Duncan Chubb, he is a really good friend of mine, that maybe if I keep working someday I might start in first grade.”
