The country is home to a number of active volcanoes and many girls jest that the members of the Philippine national rugby union team, aka Volcanoes, are among them.

Twenty-six-year-old Gareth Holgate plays center and fly-half for the team.

Born in Wales to a British father and Filipino mother, he first played for his college team before signing up professionally with the Italian club Zhermack Badia, and later on with the Japanese team Kyuden Voltex.

“As a kid, I have always dreamed about [playing professionally],” says Gareth, “but I never thought it would be possible.” He was invited to join the Philippines rugby sevens team for the 2007 SEA Games by virtue of his Filipino heritage. He’s been part of the Volcanos ever since.

Off the field he practices architecture, his undergraduate degree, and also helps underprivileged kids from Child Hope Asia Philippines to learn to play rugby.

We called for a timeout with this dashing athlete to find out what makes him tick.

Running nonstop

Rugby in the Philippines is… not full time. We usually train for a month before a competition, about three times a day. When I’m not playing rugby, I get to practice my architecture degree by working for a construction firm in the Philippines.

The most awesome thing I was able to do because of rugby is… travel the world! You meet some amazing people. I can say some of

my best friends are part of my rugby family.

I also have a deep love for… golf!

My workouts consist of… cardio training. In rugby you have to run nonstop, so I have to keep fit. There’s a lot of weight training, too—power lifts as well as squats, deadlifts, bench presses and a lot of core. Rugby is a contact sport, so the stronger I am, the easier it is for me to play.

Twice-a-day showers

My default outfit… is usually jeans and a plain T-shirt. I really like Diesel jeans and All Saints shirts.

My favorite men’s accessories… are watches, especially a Panerai Luminor Marina. It’s one of my favorites.

My own personal style is… minimal. I like plain clothes, warm colors and washed jeans. But I keep things interesting with the watches I wear.

When it comes to grooming, I’m the kind of guy who… showers at least twice a day. I use the Iskin Deep Cleanser to wash my face, Radox Energy Boost Shower Gel for my body, Aveeno

Nourish + Moisturize Shampoo and Conditioner. I shave every couple of days, pre-washing my face before applying Gillette Foamy Menthol Shaving Cream. I use Old Spice deodorant and a bit of cologne.

Other products you’ll find in my bathroom are… Listerine Mouthwash, Oral B Essential Floss, Flawless RG cream as my moisturizer, and Issey Miyake after-shave balm.

The one grooming/bath product I have the most is… an assortment of colognes. That’s one of my guilty pleasures. I like to use different colognes depending on my mood and where I’m going. Some of my favorites are Bulgari, Issey Miyake, Paco Rabanne Invictus, Polo Black and Bleu de Chanel.

I’m most particular about… my haircut. It really needs to look right. I style it with Bench Clay Dough or Mega Whip Whipped Marshmallow Hair Texturizer.

For my skin… I use the Iskin Ultimate Sunshield from Flawless, the one with SPF 40. I’m under the sun when playing rugby, so I make sure I’m protected. On regular days, I use the Flawless RG moisturizer because it doesn’t leave a greasy feel and is perfect for my skin type.

Top tip

If, like Gareth, you take multiple baths a day, start your mornings with a zing. Human Nature’s all-natural scented soaps make bath time a worthwhile pampering experience. Try the Lemon Zest variant to get you energized for the day, and Aloe Fresh to calm your senses at night.

These cleansing bars are cold-

processed, which means they preserve all the goodness that your skin and the earth can benefit from for as low as P74.75 each.

Available in Human Nature branches, Rustan’s Supermarket, Shopwise, Beauty Bar, select Robinsons Supermarkets,  Landmark Department Store.

CREDITS:

*Gareth’s choice products come fromRustans Department store, Watsons, Supermarkets and Flawless branches nationwide. To know more about Flawless’ products and services, you may visit www.flawless.com.ph or like Facebook.com/FlawlessFaceandBody. You may also follow Twitter.com/MyFlawless or visit Flawless’ online shop, shop.flawless.com.ph. Follow Garethboth on Twitter and Instagram @gazholgate.