The Portuguese national rugby team’s captain, Tomás Appleton, stepped forward to address rumors of a potential player strike. He denied that the team had ever directly threatened to go on strike due to unpaid game bonuses, as reported by a French website. “We never directly threatened to go on strike,” Appleton told Lusa, the Portuguese news agency. “Disagreements will always arise, but we never considered a strike.”
The controversy surrounding the team’s bonuses was further clarified by Carlos Amado da Silva, the president of the Portuguese Rugby Federation (FPR). He explained that the bonuses for the matches against South Africa and Scotland had already been paid. However, the bonus for qualifying for the 2027 World Cup in Australia was still pending, with half of the amount paid on June 21 and the remainder to be paid after the match against Ireland on July 12.
The FPR president also highlighted the challenges faced by the team, including the need to pay players’ salaries during the qualification period. “We paid four months’ worth of salaries to our athletes, who are not professionals and cannot afford to go without pay,” he said. “These players are doctors, engineers, and veterinarians who are required by the IPDJ (Portuguese Institute of Sports and Youth), but we had to cover their salaries, which cost around 300,000 euros.”
Meanwhile, a French article suggested that there was tension between the national team’s coaching staff, leading to the departure of physical trainer Olivier Rieg and forwards coach Olivier Azam. However, Amado da Silva dismissed these claims, attributing the staff changes to contractual and technical decisions. “The national team coach has the right to choose his own staff, and he will be responsible for their performance,” he stated.
The FPR president emphasized that the decision to replace certain staff members was not personal, but rather a necessary step to allow the new coach, Simon Mannix, to assemble his own team. “We selected Mannix from a large pool of candidates, and it’s only logical that we give him the opportunity to build his own staff,” he concluded. With the team’s qualification for the World Cup secured, the focus now shifts to the upcoming match against Ireland, and the FPR is working to resolve any outstanding issues and ensure a successful campaign.