Rugby union in Portugal
Rugby union in Portugal | |
---|---|
Country | Portugal |
Governing body | Portuguese Rugby Federation |
National team(s) | Portugal |
First played | 1903 |
Registered players | 48000-60000 |
National competitions | |
European Nations Cup | |
Club competitions | |
European Challenge Cup European Shield |
Rugby union in Portugal is a very prevalent sport, though still a long distance from
Governing body
Rugby union in Portugal is administered by the
History
The first recorded game in Portugal occurred at Cruz Quebrada on the outskirts of Lisbon in 1903. All the players were British.[1] However, it was only in the 1920s, and, later, in the 1950s that periods of consolidation occurred.
1920s
In 1922 that the game began to be organized on a formal basis. The Anglo-Portuguese playing pool at this point had been severely depleted by the
1950s
Portuguese rugby had once again been set back by the effects of another world war, but it was still dominated by students and ex-students.[1]
Portuguese rugby was heavily influenced by French rugby in this period.[1]
1990s
Portuguese rugby had a much needed "facelift" in this period, with some of its various problems being addressed. The shortage of facilities was partly remedied,[1] and a proper youth recruitment programme put in place. In three years during the mid-1990s, Portugal managed to double its number of registered players from around 3,000 to around 6,000[1]
In 1995, however, Portugal had a major setback when they were beaten at home 102-11 by Wales in the 1995 Rugby World Cup qualifiers.[1] This set their morale back, and led to criticism of weaknesses in scrummaging, rucking and mauling.
Present day
Portuguese rugby continues to hover around the 50,000 mark,but the main aim at the moment is to improve the national infrastructure, which has partly paid off, since the Portuguese rugby team managed to get into the 2007 Rugby World Cup - the first all amateur team to do so since professionalization. They were the only new team in the tournament since all the rest had appeared in the 2003 Rugby World Cup,[3] and they got there by knocking out Uruguay.[3]
In 2008 the Portuguese Rugby Federation, the
Because Portugal is a popular holiday destination for people from the United Kingdom and Ireland, with reasonably priced flights etc., it has emerged as a popular tour destination.[4]
In 2023, Portuguese rugby has become far more widespread and popular throughout the country. There are now multiple clubs in each major city and the number of both players and viewers have significantly increased making Rugby the second most popular sport in Portugal.[citation needed]
Competitions
Current hierarchical divisional breakdowns
- Campeonato Português de Rugby (12 teams)
- Campeonato Nacional de Rugby I Divisão (10 teams)
- Campeonato Nacional de Rugby II Divisão (2 groups of 8 teams each)
National team
The national rugby union team made a dramatic qualification into the 2007 Rugby World Cup and become the first all amateur team to qualify for the World Cup since the sport opened itself up to professionals in August 1995 (after that year's World Cup). They qualified for the 2023 Rugby World Cup by winning the Final Qualification Tournament. Samuel Marques kicked an overtime penalty that would see "Os Lobos" win that qualification group on points difference. The Portuguese national rugby sevens team has performed well, becoming one of the strongest teams in Europe, and proved their status as European champions in several occasions.
The
Portugal have experienced unprecedented success in recent years. They were surprise winners of the 2003-4
Sevens
The Portugal national rugby sevens team represent Portugal in international rugby sevens. The team compete in competitions such as the World Sevens Series and the Rugby World Cup Sevens. Pedro Leal and Pedro Cabral are two notable sevens players.
The
See also
- Sport in Portugal
- Rugby union in Brazil - the game has a small foothold in the largest Portuguese speaking nation.
- Rugby union in Macau, a Portuguese territory until 1999.
References
- Bath, Richard (ed.) The Complete Book of Rugby (Seven Oaks Ltd, 1997 ISBN 1-86200-013-1)
- Richards, Huw A Game for Hooligans: The History of Rugby Union (ISBN 978-1-84596-255-5)
- ^ a b c d e f g h Bath p73
- ^ Shepherd, Andrew (2020). "The British impact on the development of sport in Portugal". British Historical Society of Portugal Annual Report. 47. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ a b Richards, Chapter 14 Journeys without Maps, p279
- ^ European Rugby, retrieved 19 August 2009
- ^ a b Richards, Chapter 14 Journeys without Maps, p281