Wolf cubs offer bright future for Portuguese rugby / Photo: ANDRE DIAS NOBRE - AFP
-
Seifert blasts 93 as New Zealand win fifth India T20
-
Marquez wins in Malaysia to close in on MotoGP world title
-
Portuguese police clash with housing protesters, arrest 13
-
Thousands protest in India's capital against voter roll revision
-
Marquez wins in Malaysia to stand on brink of MotoGP world title
-
Marquez wins Malaysian MotoGP to move to brink of world title
-
Binance says resuming withdrawals after major hack
-
Shnaider beats Fernandez to win Tokyo title
-
Divided Bulgaria votes in tense presidential runoff
-
Winds of change: Laos looks up for renewables push
-
Trump says US looking 'closely' at report Nvidia CEO target of China spy plot
-
Sri Lanka's war widows and the long search for the missing
-
Maxey scores 38 to lead Sixers 'fighters' to another comeback win
-
'Air-con nation' Singapore eyes alternatives to cool down
-
Valkyries defeat Dream to capture first WNBA crown
-
US judge dismisses Trump lawsuit against Wall Street Journal over Epstein letter
-
'Seen and heard': Uruguay neighborhood places hopes in pope
-
Slave or not? US gallery shows early photos of African Americans
-
Spewing US election falsehoods, AI chatbots face scrutiny
-
France's Aymoz wins Skate Canada men's crown
-
EU's new levy on parcels kicks in
-
Pope Leo readies for 'intense' South America homecoming
-
Ocon denies reports of altercation after being dumped by Haas
-
Antonelli admits to feeling tense of eve of potential F1 title decider
-
Hamilton says love of racing keeps him young
-
FBI says North Korea behind $6 billion crypto theft from Binance
-
'Disgraceful' Australia face reckoning after South Africa humbling
-
'Canelo' Alvarez wins back WBC title from Mbilli in Riyadh
-
Sovereignty wins Breeders' Cup Classic, Benvenuto Cellini triumphs in Turf for O'Brien
-
'Canelo' Alvarez wins back WBC title from Mbilli
-
Hamilton takes record 105th pole and first for Ferrari, as Antonelli lurks
-
Sovereignty wins Breeders' Cup Classic
-
German rioters loot shops as 'Gen Z' demos turn ugly
-
Hamilton grabs pole position for Mexican Grand Prix
-
Barca hammer Alaves to retain Liga top spot
-
Benvenuto Cellini wins Breeders' Cup Turf
-
UK king to address Commonwealth with 'unflinching honesty' amid slavery focus
-
Roma thrash Udinese ahead of Milan derby
-
US judge dismisses Trump lawsuit against Wall Steet Journal over Epstein letter
-
Kane laments Dortmund draw after 'incredible high' of Ballon d'Or
-
Polish president holds crisis talks in court standoff
-
Spanish village holds memorial mass for train crash victims
-
NFL to review new allegations against Packers' Jacobs: reports
-
Israeli protesters demand opposition ally with Arab parties to oust Netanyahu
-
Le Havre owners sack coach after PSG thrashing
-
De Minaur upsets Zverev and will face Alcaraz in Vienna final
-
De Minaur upsets Zverev and will face Alacaraz in Vienna final
-
Kane misses penalty as Bayern held by Dortmund
-
German police, protesters clash after 'Gen Z' demos
-
In Mexico City, Day of the Dead parade inspired by 007
Wolf cubs offer bright future for Portuguese rugby
Portugal may have snuck into this Rugby World Cup through the back door but the future looks bright for a country where the game is steadily building its numbers among the younger generation.
Established in 1952 by a group of university students from Lisbon law school, Direito is one of the leading clubs in the country, supplying eight players to Portugal's squad for the World Cup.
With an eye to the future, however, the club holds an academy for boys and girls each summer with the aim of introducing rugby to younger age groups and developing rugby skills and game understanding.
The club believes that the academy helps the kids with their personal and social development.
The first recorded game in Portugal was in 1903 but Los Oblos - The Wolves - only qualified for their first World Cup in 2007. They were hammered by the All Blacks, well beaten by Scotland and Italy but only lost 14-10 to Romania.
They are back in France this time in spite of originally finishing out of the European qualification places.
Georgia, Romania and Spain all finished above them but their fellow-Iberians were docked 10 points for fielding an ineligible player in two matches against the Netherlands.
That moved Portugal into third spot and handed them a place in the final qualifying tournament in Dubai where they saw off Hong Kong and Kenya before drawing 16-16 with the United States which took them through on points difference.
At this year's World Cup they are in Pool C alongside Australia, Wales, Fiji and Georgia. Their first match is against the Welsh in Nice on September 16.
++ Ahead of the Rugby World Cup in France, Agence France-Presse asked 20 aspiring photographers from each country qualified for the competition to show one aspect of the rugby union culture in their homeland, with the help of Canon cameras who are sponsoring the tournament. From Namibia to Fiji via Georgia and Scotland this photo essay gives us a glimpse of the core values of rugby on five continents.
Ch.Havering--AMWN
