Portugal Profile
Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:44
Colours: Red
Nickname: Os Lobos (The Wolves)
Major Honours: Won the European Nations Cup in 2004; qualified for the 2007 Rugby World Cup's final tournament in France
No of Clubs: 57
No of Registered Players: 4286
Senior Male Players: 1063
Coach: Tomaz Morais, who played centre for Cascais and Portugal, coached Cascais and then Dereito, the law club, and Portugal. A physical education teacher, Morais is determined about fitness and is regarded as having much to do with the rise in Portuguese rugby since his appointment in 2001.
Captain: TBC
Players to watch: Pedro Leal, the fullback. In fact any strength the Portuguese have will be in their backs. If you look at the ships used by the great seamen of the 15th century - Henry the Navigator, Vasco da Gama, Bartholomew Diaz - they are small because the men who sailed in them were small, and still the Portuguese are not a race to produce big and powerful men. Their backs are skilful which is why they do well at Sevens. Others to watch would be flyhalf Gonçalo Malheiro, centre Diogo Mateus and wing António Aguilar.
History
The first rugby played in Portugal may well have been by South Africans - Boer prisoners of war during the Anglo-Boer War. Over 25 000 Boers were sent as prisoners of war to Ceylon, as Sri Lanka then was, St Helena, Bermuda, India and Portugal. In Portugal there were 1443 prisoners of war in caps in six towns north of Lisbon. Darius de Klerk wrote later in his book The Boers in Portugal: "Fotball [sic] was quite unheard of in Portugal in those days, at least in the provinces. The public in Alcobaca enjoyed watching the Boers play this new game, but the rules had their followers baffled for a long, long time."
In St George's Cemetery in Lisbon there is a monument to the Boer prisoners of war who died in Portugal.
The Boers went back to South Africa but students returning from France and Britain brought the game back with them and a game was played in Cruz Quebrada, Lisbon, in 1903. The game stayed in and around Lisbon but gradually clubs increased till a rugby union was formed in Lisbon in 1927.
In 1934, when France had been kicked out of the Five Nations, FIRA was formed at France's instigation and Portugal was at 6th inaugural meeting. In 1935 Portugal played its first ever Test -against neighbours Spain, losing 6-5. They played again the next year and Spain won again.
The game grew in the Fifties and moved wider than just Lisbon. In 1957 the Federação Portuguesa de Rugby was founded and more frequent Tests occurred, including a first-ever Test win - 9-3 over Spain in 1966.
Portugal played their first ever rugby international in April of 1935 against Spain. Portugal lost the game by one point, 5 to 6. They played them again the following year with Spain winning 16 to 9. Portugal had more regular competition from the mid-1960s, and won their first game in 1966, defeating Spain 9 to 3. Portugal played Italy for the first time in 1967, losing 6-3. They also had their first match against Romania soon after and lost by 40 points. They defeated Belgium in 1968, and also played Morocco for the first time. Portugal were the best side until Ireland beat them 132-0 in the Algarve (Portugal).
The first game of 1970s turned out to be a draw against the Netherlands. Portugal managed to draw with Italy (nil all) in 1972 and following that, defeated them 9-6 in 1973. After a number of mixed results throughout the early 1970s, Portugal won five matches in a row from 1979 through to 1981. The streak was broken with loss to Morocco. After a 1983 draw against Spain, Portugal managed a seven game winning streak from 1984 to 1985, including wins over Belgium, Denmark, Morocco, Czechoslovakia, Poland and Zimbabwe. The first Rugby World Cup was held in 1987, though it was by invitation, thus there was no qualifying tournament.
In the Nineties and on into this century Portuguese rugby picked up, most of the players home-based and so thoroughly amateur. Apart from coach Morais, the player who had a lot to do with the advancement was the Australian Rohan Hoffman who is settled in Portugal and on the way to becoming a top referee. He was a majestic centre, once labelled the most valuable amateur player in Europe.
Good things have happened this century. First they won the European Nations Cup in 2004, ahead of Romania and Georgia amongst others.
Then their improving Sevens side qualified for the IRB's Sevens Series. They have won respect at Sevens.
Then they qualified for the 2007 World Cup - a first for Portugal who had been trying to qualify since 1989 when the beat the Czechs 15-13 but the Dutch knocked them out. They tried again for 1995 but Wales beat them 102-11. For 1999 they fared better but Scotland and Spain beat them, Spain qualifying. That year they went into répechage but Uruguay beat them home and away and qualified. In 2002 they were grouped with Spain and Poland but Spain nudged them out.
Their qualification for 2007 began in 2004 when Portugal advanced again to répechage, first against Morocco, whom they narrowly beat, and then against Uruguay. The Lobos won in Lisbon 12-5 and then played again in Montevido. Uruguay had a player sent off but managed to win 18-12. That meant that Portugal had qualified by one aggregate point.
They will play in Pool C with New Zealand, Scotland, Italy and Romania. Just being at the World Cup will be magic enough for the cheerful Portuguese.
At present Portugal are ranked 21st in the world with Russia and Uruguay ahead of them and Spain and Chile below them.