Portugal Rugby World Cup Tickets
2007 was the only other occasion Portugal have qualified for the Rugby World Cup and on that occasion it would be fair to say that they experienced something of a rude awakening.
In losses to Italy, New Zealand, Scotland and Romania the Portuguese side conceded a total of 209 points and managed just 38, managing just a single try in each of those defeats in France.
2023 might offer them a slightly better return as once again they travel to France for the major tournament.
2023 Rugby World Cup Schedule
First up for Patrice Lagisquet's side are Wales in a fixture that takes place at the Allianz Riviera (otherwise known as the Stade de Nice), that is followed by a slightly more winnable encounter with Georgia, at the Stadium de Toulouse.
Their third fixture sees them face the might of Australia at the Stade Geoffrey Guichard in Saint-Etienne and they finish the Pool C schedule against Fiji, again in Toulouse.
A run to the knockout stages is unlikely but playing at the highest level should help boost interest in the game in a country where clearly football is the main sport of choice for supporters.
Portugal Rugby Europe Championship Schedule
Also known as the European Nations Cup, Portugal will also be in the Rugby Europe Championships in 2023 and will hope to see a marked improvement on last year's poor performances.
On the face of it neither Belgium or Poland should provide too much of a challenge to Lagisquet's side but the final team in Group B, Romania, may be a tougher challenge to overcome.
Portugal Rugby Union Team - Signs of Improvement
Though clearly it would be wrong to suggest that Portugal are a force to be reckoned with in terms of world rugby, however they have shown signs of improvement in recent years, hence their qualification for the Rugby World Cup in 2023.
As a rugby playing nation there are definite signs of growth and their current ranking of 18 shows just how much they've achieved over the past year or two.
A sign of that growth can be seen in the current Portugal squad that includes a number of players who ply their trade outside the country with a number of their top talents playing for teams in France, albeit many in the second level of the professional game there.
