Brazil wins Plate in Rome Sevens

Continued preparation for Rio de Janeiro 2016 saw the Brazilian men’s Rugby Sevens team competing in the Rome Sevens this past weekend. The competition brought together a combination of national and club sides who competed in the Italian capital.

Brazil competed well winning five out of six games. Playing in Group B Brazil started with a strong 27-5 victory against club side Unione Rugby Capitolina. Next up the Brazilians defeated a composite English side playing as Side Steps Artech by 14-7 before lastly facing Latvia and coming out with a convincing 42-0 win.

On day two Brazil opened against French club Chabs in the Quarter Finals and ran-out 14-0 winners to set-up a Semi Final against another French side, the Froggies. This time it was the Europeans who won and did so by 22-12 sending Brazil to the Plate Final.

Brazil took on Spanish side the Barcelona Barbarians in the Plate Final and with Lucas Muller and Matt Gardner scoring first half tries the South Americans led 14-0 and won after the second half was scoreless. South Africa won the Cup Final by defeating the Froggies 41-7.

While competing well at the Olympic Games is the long term objective for the Brazilians the tournament in Rome also served as build up for next month’s Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada.

Captain Fernando Portugal, who previously played professional rugby in Italy’s second division, was optimistic about the performances. ”it was two great days, we finished as we finished Plate Winners, with third place overall at the Rome Sevens. It was a big tournament, with good expectations, but now we move ahead, to the next task, the Pan Am (Games) in Toronto.”

Brazil
1 Fernando Portugal; 2 Martin Michael Schaefer; 3 Juliano Fiori; 4 Mateus Estrela Miller Tavares; 5 Lucas Duque; 6 Matheus Da Cruz Daniel; 7 Lucas Amadeu Muller; 8 Lucas Drudi Romeu; 9 Arthur Bomfim Bergo; 10 Matthew Gardner; 11 Gustavo Barreiros de Albuquerque; 12 Andre Luiz Nascimento Silva.

Head Coach: Andrés Romagnolli.