Rugby Federation does not authorize other matches on Portugal-Japan day – Rugby
The Portuguese Rugby Federation has decided not to authorize the holding of any other matches on the day of the match between Portugal and Japan, to be played on November 13, in Coimbra, announced the body on Friday.
The decision was taken “in order to provide everyone who so wishes the possibility of watching the Portugal-Japan live”, at Estádio Cidade de Coimbra, a venue that “was built to include the Euro2004” of football.
Among other competitions, the seventh round of the Division of Honor, the main Portuguese competitive level, was scheduled for November 13th.
“This game represents a great opportunity for Portuguese rugby to assert itself, due to the value of the opponent, the moment in which it is taking place and, above all, the opportunity to show international entities, national partners and the general public the good moment our team is experiencing” , justified the FPR in its weekly newsletter.
In addition to the challenge facing the 10th place in the world ranking, Coimbra will host, on the same day, the final of the U-20 European Championship, a “competition of fundamental importance for the future of rugby in Portugal” and which constitutes “an added reason for that there are no national competitions on that day, “adds the FPR.
Alternatively, FPR prioritizing the rescheduling of matches for the previous or following days, or postponing to another weekend, and warns that “in case the clubs do not reach an agreement” as to the date and time of the game, “the FPR will decide and arrange “meetings.
The body that oversees a sport in Portugal, led by Carlos Amado da Silva, also took advantage of the communication to “invite the presidents of Portuguese clubs to be present in the presidential box at Estádio Cidade de Coimbra to watch the Portugal-Japan”.
The Portuguese rugby team welcomes Japan on November 13th, in a match scheduled to start at 17:10 at Estádio Cidade de Coimbra, a week after facing Canada, on November 6th, at the Jamor High Performance Centre.
The Japanese, who occupy the 10th place in the world ranking, are the most valuable opponent that the Portuguese team has faced since the 2007 World Cup, when they played, in France, against Scotland and New Zealand.