Portugal’s national rugby team will face United States of America this weekend in the Algarve for their final friendly match before the Rugby World Cup, which will take place between September 8 and October 28 in France.
The friendly match will be played on Saturday (August 12) at 9pm at Estádio do Algarve.
The ‘Lobos’ (Wolves), as the national team is known, have been in the Algarve preparing for the World Cup since the end of July, while the American team is also holding a training camp in the region ahead of the friendly match.
“We understand the importance of the game against the USA. We qualified for the World Cup against this team, but, in truth, it was a draw, not a victory, which was what we really wanted,” says Portugal’s captain Tomás Appleton. “We have a lot to prove to Portugal and the Portuguese people. We want to show that we have taken a leap and that we are already on a higher level, and this game will serve to prove that. We want to demonstrate that our efforts throughout this final phase have been worthwhile.”
Tickets can be purchased online or on the day of the match at the stadium, with prices ranging from €10 and €20 to €100 (for a VIP box seat, which includes catering).
In the last match between the two teams in November 2022, player Samuel Marques converted a penalty, allowing Portugal to draw with the United States (16-16) and make history by securing World Cup qualification for the second time, returning to this championship 16 years after their debut in 2007.
Portugal’s first match in the World Cup in France will take place on September 16, when the ‘Wolves’ will face Wales in Nice. In the group stage, they will also face Georgia (on September 23 in Toulouse), followed by Australia (on October 1 in Saint-Étienne) and Fiji (on October 8 in Toulouse).
