HERE’S HOPING THAT Portugal continue their rise in international rugby. Even a one-night pitstop in Lisbon on the way to Ireland’s training camp in Faro was enough to see that regular trips to the Portuguese capital would be special.
Ireland are due in Portugal this July for a Test match and one has to hope it’s only the start. The Irish national team have been visiting the Algarve for training camps since 2019, using The Campus facility in the resort of Quinta do Lago.
Ahead of the 2023 World Cup, Ireland invited the Portugal national team into camp to train against them and the Portuguese impressed, cutting the Irish defence apart several times when the backlines ran plays against each other.
Os Lobos - the Wolves -won’t be training against Ireland this year but they’re currently preparing for the Rugby Europe Championship, which also kicks off next weekend and from which four teams will qualify directly for the 2027 World Cup.
The budding relationship with Portugal will grow further with Ireland’s visit to the country this summer and even though Andy Farrell and a batch of frontline players will be away with the Lions, there is great excitement in Portuguese rugby. A date and venue have yet to be officially announced, with Lisbon and the Algarve both possibilities, but there are some cracking stadiums to choose from.
Lisbon is clearly a wonderful place, even on the evidence of a 17-hour visit en route to the Algarve. It’s not hard to imagine landing in for biennial rugby trips, as we currently have with Cardiff, Paris, London, Edinburgh, and Rome.
A little like the Italian capital, Lisbon is a canvas cluttered with impressive historic buildings, monuments, and tiles. You don’t need to be an architecture specialist to appreciate the beauty. Nor do you need to be a football nerd to see how much they love the sport or how mega a superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is on home soil.
Ginjinha is a local Lisbon liqueur made from cherries. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Strolling around the Baixa area in the city centre was a delight. This job has some perks. The self-guided tour began with an old Lisbon tradition, a shot of the local ginjinha. It’s a liqueur made from Morello cherries fermented in brandy with sugar and cinnamon.
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The famously tiny A Ginjinha bar opens onto the street just off Rossio Square, one of the most bustling plazas in the city, and has been serving small glasses of the stuff to locals and tourists since 1840.
Everywhere you look are bakeries selling pastéis de nata, another local creation. Whereas a Galician friar is credited with bringing ginjinha into the world, Catholic monks get praise for coming up with the delicious custard tarts. Like most things, you haven’t properly tried pastéis de nata until you’ve had one in its home city.
Lisbon is a hilly place, meaning even a stroll is hard work but rewarding. Quaint, colourful old trams can save you some of the effort, while there are refreshments waiting in the plentiful open-area squares. Quiosques are another iconic element of the city, these small huts selling beer, wine, drinks, and snacks to be enjoyed while pausing to people-watch. Even at this time of year, sitting outdoors is lovely.
Our walk winds all the way down under the breathtaking Rua Augusta Arch, built to commemorate the city’s reconstruction after the Great Lisbon earthquake in 1755, and out onto the marble Cais das Colunas pier looking onto the Atlantic.
Throw in the crucial fact that Portugal play thrilling attacking rugby, which we all saw at the 2023 World Cup, as well as rugby’s urgent need to genuinely grow beyond its traditional bases, and it’s not hard to make the case for more top-level Tests in the country.
One of the many quiosques in Lisbon. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
This morning involved a 30-minute flight to Faro on the south coast and a short taxi ride to Quinta do Lago, where Ireland were just coming off the pitch after a walkthrough session on the pitch at The Campus.
And while it was overcast today, there weren’t any complaints as the Irish players and coaches checked in on loved ones at home after Storm Éowyn. The pleasant 15°C conditions in Quinta do Lago were relatively dreamy.
As with previous camps, Ireland have had a giant analysis screen erected out on the pristine surface, allowing them to view footage and instantly work through solutions on the pitch.
And as usual, Ireland have block-booked a nearby hotel to ensure they can prepare for the England game without any distractions. Having arrived on Wednesday, they have a big training session tomorrow before a day off on Sunday.
They will then crack into their regular match week build-up from Monday and fly home to Ireland after training on Wednesday.
“It’s a bit of a change of scenery,” said Ireland assistant coach Paul O’Connell when asked what it is that keeps them coming back to Portugal ahead of big campaigns.
“When we come out here, the players definitely enjoy it. It’s a great training facility, they really enjoy the hotel. I suppose there’s a bit of a feeling of ‘we’re in with Ireland now.’ We’re out of the country and there’s this special experience because it is a great week.
Calvin Nash at training in The Campus. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
“The training pitch out there is beautiful. We get to have a lot of meetings outdoors because of the weather. Generally, you stay around on the pitch a bit longer, you get to have a few more conversations with players. We have the hotel to ourselves so it’s a great way in week one when the players have to take on a lot.
“It’s amazing how much they love each others’ company, the players. They’re spending a lot of time around each other, a lot of time on the pitch before training chatting things through, spending time on the pitch after training chatting things through.
“We do that at home as well but not as much with the weather, it’s a bit of a chore to stay out after training in Ireland at times, even if they do it.
“They get a day off and some of them go play golf, play a bit of padel, they get to connect with one another again and it makes it feel special, like they’re in with Ireland and it’s a bit different.”
Ireland keep on coming back for more and they’re not the only Irish team in that boat. Big rugby schools and some clubs have been known to visit this neck of the woods for warm-weather camps and pre-season trips.
That’s all great but it would be even better if Portugal became a major rugby destination for top-level international games.
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Here's to Portugal becoming a major rugby destination
HERE’S HOPING THAT Portugal continue their rise in international rugby. Even a one-night pitstop in Lisbon on the way to Ireland’s training camp in Faro was enough to see that regular trips to the Portuguese capital would be special.
Ireland are due in Portugal this July for a Test match and one has to hope it’s only the start. The Irish national team have been visiting the Algarve for training camps since 2019, using The Campus facility in the resort of Quinta do Lago.
Ahead of the 2023 World Cup, Ireland invited the Portugal national team into camp to train against them and the Portuguese impressed, cutting the Irish defence apart several times when the backlines ran plays against each other.
Os Lobos - the Wolves - won’t be training against Ireland this year but they’re currently preparing for the Rugby Europe Championship, which also kicks off next weekend and from which four teams will qualify directly for the 2027 World Cup.
The budding relationship with Portugal will grow further with Ireland’s visit to the country this summer and even though Andy Farrell and a batch of frontline players will be away with the Lions, there is great excitement in Portuguese rugby. A date and venue have yet to be officially announced, with Lisbon and the Algarve both possibilities, but there are some cracking stadiums to choose from.
Lisbon is clearly a wonderful place, even on the evidence of a 17-hour visit en route to the Algarve. It’s not hard to imagine landing in for biennial rugby trips, as we currently have with Cardiff, Paris, London, Edinburgh, and Rome.
A little like the Italian capital, Lisbon is a canvas cluttered with impressive historic buildings, monuments, and tiles. You don’t need to be an architecture specialist to appreciate the beauty. Nor do you need to be a football nerd to see how much they love the sport or how mega a superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is on home soil.
Strolling around the Baixa area in the city centre was a delight. This job has some perks. The self-guided tour began with an old Lisbon tradition, a shot of the local ginjinha. It’s a liqueur made from Morello cherries fermented in brandy with sugar and cinnamon.
The famously tiny A Ginjinha bar opens onto the street just off Rossio Square, one of the most bustling plazas in the city, and has been serving small glasses of the stuff to locals and tourists since 1840.
Everywhere you look are bakeries selling pastéis de nata, another local creation. Whereas a Galician friar is credited with bringing ginjinha into the world, Catholic monks get praise for coming up with the delicious custard tarts. Like most things, you haven’t properly tried pastéis de nata until you’ve had one in its home city.
Lisbon is a hilly place, meaning even a stroll is hard work but rewarding. Quaint, colourful old trams can save you some of the effort, while there are refreshments waiting in the plentiful open-area squares. Quiosques are another iconic element of the city, these small huts selling beer, wine, drinks, and snacks to be enjoyed while pausing to people-watch. Even at this time of year, sitting outdoors is lovely.
Our walk winds all the way down under the breathtaking Rua Augusta Arch, built to commemorate the city’s reconstruction after the Great Lisbon earthquake in 1755, and out onto the marble Cais das Colunas pier looking onto the Atlantic.
Throw in the crucial fact that Portugal play thrilling attacking rugby, which we all saw at the 2023 World Cup, as well as rugby’s urgent need to genuinely grow beyond its traditional bases, and it’s not hard to make the case for more top-level Tests in the country.
This morning involved a 30-minute flight to Faro on the south coast and a short taxi ride to Quinta do Lago, where Ireland were just coming off the pitch after a walkthrough session on the pitch at The Campus.
And while it was overcast today, there weren’t any complaints as the Irish players and coaches checked in on loved ones at home after Storm Éowyn. The pleasant 15°C conditions in Quinta do Lago were relatively dreamy.
As with previous camps, Ireland have had a giant analysis screen erected out on the pristine surface, allowing them to view footage and instantly work through solutions on the pitch.
And as usual, Ireland have block-booked a nearby hotel to ensure they can prepare for the England game without any distractions. Having arrived on Wednesday, they have a big training session tomorrow before a day off on Sunday.
They will then crack into their regular match week build-up from Monday and fly home to Ireland after training on Wednesday.
“It’s a bit of a change of scenery,” said Ireland assistant coach Paul O’Connell when asked what it is that keeps them coming back to Portugal ahead of big campaigns.
“When we come out here, the players definitely enjoy it. It’s a great training facility, they really enjoy the hotel. I suppose there’s a bit of a feeling of ‘we’re in with Ireland now.’ We’re out of the country and there’s this special experience because it is a great week.
“The training pitch out there is beautiful. We get to have a lot of meetings outdoors because of the weather. Generally, you stay around on the pitch a bit longer, you get to have a few more conversations with players. We have the hotel to ourselves so it’s a great way in week one when the players have to take on a lot.
“It’s amazing how much they love each others’ company, the players. They’re spending a lot of time around each other, a lot of time on the pitch before training chatting things through, spending time on the pitch after training chatting things through.
“We do that at home as well but not as much with the weather, it’s a bit of a chore to stay out after training in Ireland at times, even if they do it.
“They get a day off and some of them go play golf, play a bit of padel, they get to connect with one another again and it makes it feel special, like they’re in with Ireland and it’s a bit different.”
Ireland keep on coming back for more and they’re not the only Irish team in that boat. Big rugby schools and some clubs have been known to visit this neck of the woods for warm-weather camps and pre-season trips.
That’s all great but it would be even better if Portugal became a major rugby destination for top-level international games.
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Ireland obrigado Portugal tour diary