Oakey’s ‘Love God’ making waves for national team
RUGBY LEAGUE: What started as a throwaway comment during a regular season Toowoomba Rugby League game has started to spread around the world.
In a match between the Oakey Bears and Pittsworth Danes earlier this season, Oakey backrower Hector Hilberto crossed for a try as the social media team from the TRL was filming.
Known for their knockabout, jovial style, the TRL uploaded the video and captioned it “The Brazilian Love God loves scoring meat pies”.
Little did they know how well the moniker would stick, giving prominence to the fact that Brazil Rugby League has three representatives living in Oakey.
Hilberto was born in Manhumirim, Minas Gerais, which by Brazilian standards is fairly small as well – only 22,500 people live there, nestled among mountains almost seven hours north of Rio De Janeiro.
Like the families of his Oakey teammates Juan Casanova Campina and Paulo Sampaio, Hilberto’s family moved to Australia and found work in rural centres, predominantly at meat works.
Hilberto has grown up playing rugby league to a point where he has represented Queensland Universities in the sport, and firmed as on on-field leader with the Oakey A-grade side.
His resume will extend tomorrow when he suits up for Brazil for the first time at the GYG Latino Nines at Liverpool, Sydney.
Brazil will compete against five other teams representing nations of Latin America, with Chile being the reigning champion.
Yet, although it will be an international debut for Hilberto, Casanova Campina and Sampaio, the biomedical and geology student is already wellknown to his teammates.
“Everybody has been calling him ‘The Love God’ for weeks, ever since that video came out,” said Brazil team manager Robert Burgin, himself raised in Harlaxton.
“Even the domestic officials back in Brazil have latched onto it.
“One of the boys in Sydney joked that he didn’t want ‘The Love God’ staying at his house or he feared he would seduce his wife.
“It’s quite funny that despite his teammate literally having the name Casanova, that somehow Hector is the one known as ‘The Love God’.”
With his flowing ringlets, Hilberto bears a passing resemblance to former Australian and Queensland forward Sam Thaiday in his youth.
However he is not quite as extroverted as the Maroons legend and can be found most days studying at The University of Queensland.
Brazil has a challenging pool at this year’s Latino Nines, drawn against two-time runners-up Peru and the similarly tough Uruguay.
Hilberto was recently named best forward, club heart and soul, and representative player of the year at Oakey’s presentation night.
Rugby league players withLatino heritage are encouraged to get in contact with Burgin at robert@sambatimes.com.