WOLVES ON THE PROWL

Portugal are back at the Rugby World Cup - and will have extra bite at France 2023

- Francisco Isaac

RODRIGO MARTA cuts through the opposition’s defence with a ballerina sidestep and quickly launches a counter-attack! And here comes Raffaele Storti and José Madeira in support, how will this end? Oh, what an offload for Storti and it’s a try for Portugal in… this pool stage match against Tonga for the U20 World Rugby Trophy!”

This intro could fit perfectly in 2023 but in reality it happened back in 2019, when Portugal almost won promotion to the U20 World Championship, losing only to Japan in a final that was decided by a last-minute try. Four years ago, Os Lobos (The Wolves) pups were already earning a reputation for being a skilful and relentless side that could throw more than a few proverbial punches, something that would be repeated for the seniors.

From 2019 to 2023, several players from that U20 set-up would not only make it to the senior squad but attract the attention of French clubs, starting a new era for Portuguese rugby. Madeira went to FC Grenoble (ProD2), amassing 50 games in just three seasons; Storti was caught by Stade Français in 2021 but only made his debut in the French pro competitions when moving to AS Béziers Hérault in 2022, scoring ten tries in 12 matches; and Marta, after many masterclass displays for the Lusitanos, the Portuguese Super Cup franchise, was signed by Dax Landes last summer and went on to astonish everyone by scoring 15 tries in the regular season.

These are just three examples of how successful the new Portuguese generation is, and how quickly players are making an impact at every level, be it for the clubs, franchises or national side.