Benfica
Full nameAssociação SLB Rugby
UnionPortuguese Rugby Federation
Founded4 October 1924 (1924-10-04)
LocationLisbon, Portugal
Ground(s)Lisbon University Stadium[1]
Coach(es)António Moura Dias
Rassie van Vuura[2]
League(s)Campeonato Português de Rugby - Divisão de Honra
2022–13Campeonato Nacional de Rugby I Divisão, 4th place
Official website
www.slbenfica.pt/pt-pt/modalidades/rugby

Sport Lisboa e Benfica (Portuguese pronunciation: [sɨˈpɔɾ liʒˈβoɐ i βɐ̃jˈfikɐ] ⓘ), commonly known as Benfica, is a Portuguese rugby union team based in Lisbon. Founded in 1924, Benfica is one of the oldest Portuguese rugby teams. The men's team competes in the Campeonato Português de Rugby - Divisão de Honra, the first tier of rugby union in Portugal. In June 2014, the club refused the invitation to join the first division.[3] The women's team play in the Campeonato Nacional, the first tier, but recent changes in the competition mean they only compete in Sevens.

Benfica currently hold home games at the Lisbon University Stadium, while their youth teams play at the Pupilos do Exército, near Colégio Militar in Lisbon. Benfica hoped to secure a rugby field in Oeiras, in a 20-year rental, but the project never materialized. It was supposed to have a grass field capable of international matches, plus two synthetic fields for youth development, three football fields for Under-12, a 2,000 people stand and additional logistical support.[4]

Benfica once had a Portuguese international in their team, Diogo Gama, who represented Portugal at the 2007 World Cup.

Honours

According to Benfica's official website[5]

Men's

Winners (9): 1959–60, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1969–70, 1975–76, 1985–86, 1987–88, 1990–91, 2000–01
Winners (10): 1961, 1965, 1966, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1983, 1984, 1985[6]
Winners (4): 1971, 1986, 1988, 2001
  • Campeonato Regional de Lisboa
Winners (12): 1931, 1936, 1937, 1939, 1942, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1954, 1955
  • Taça de Honra da FPR
Winners (3): 1949, 1950, 1966

Women's

Winners (5): 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13
Winners (7): 2004–05, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12
  • Supertaça
Winner (8): 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016
  • Campeonato Nacional de Sevens
Winners (5): 2009–10, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16
  • Taça de Portugal de Sevens
Winners (3): 2014, 2014, 2016

Current squad

According to Benfica's official website and Portuguese Rugby Federation[7][8]

The Benfica squad for the 2023–24 TOP 10 season
Props
  • Spain Gavin Van den Berg
  • Portugal Hugo Valente
  • South Africa Barend Bezuidenhout
  • New Zealand Meli Sifa
  • Portugal Márcio Pinheiro
  • Portugal André Antunes

Hookers

  • Brazil Luan Almeida
  • South Africa Jason Cornelius

Locks

  • Brazil Felipe Rosa
  • New Zealand Adrian Hall
  • South Africa Jaden Delport
 Backrow
  • Portugal Vasco Baptista
  • Portugal Frederico Couto
  • South Africa Lorenzo Palacio
  • Portugal Frederico Silva
  • Portugal Tomás Picado
  • Portugal Pedro Tavares

Scrum-halves

  • Ireland Elliott Ryan
  • Portugal Francisco Russo
  • Portugal António Campos
  • Portugal Tomás Boavida

Fly-halves

  • Portugal José Rodrigues
  • New Zealand Latrell Ah Kiong
 Centres
  • New Zealand Hayden Hann
  • Italy Matteo Colli
  • Portugal Francisco Bessa
  • Portugal Diogo Salgado

Wingers

  • Portugal José Miguel Carvalho
  • Portugal Harrison Stock
  • Portugal António Valadares
  • Portugal Diego Caeiro
  • Portugal Rodrigo Sampaio
  • Guinea-Bissau Felisbelo Vieira
  • France Noah Ménard

Fullbacks

  • South Africa Shane Van Rooyen
(c) denotes the team captain, Bold denotes internationally capped players.

    References

    1. ↑ "Base é agora no Estádio Universitário" [Base is now at the University Stadium]. S.L. Benfica (in Portuguese). 18 September 2019. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
    2. ↑ Rugby SL Benfica
    3. ↑ "Rugby: Projecto do SL Benfica segue rumo sustentado". S.L. Benfica. 27 June 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
    4. ↑ "Rugby em Oeiras" [Rugby in Oeiras]. CM Oeiras. 17 February 2009. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
    5. ↑ "Palmarés" [Honours]. S.L. Benfica. 7 August 2012. Archived from the original on 29 June 2016.
    6. ↑ Palmarés da Taça de Portugal de râguebi Record (in Portuguese)
    7. ↑ "Squad in official website".
    8. ↑ "Registered players on FPR".
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