New rugby coach aims for ‘very good performance’ at 2027 World Cup

New Portugal rugby coach Simon Mannix this Wednesday identified a “very good performance” as Portugal’s goal for the 2027 World Cup in Australia and said he was “delighted” at the opportunity to work with Wolves.

Officially presented at the Presidential Stand at the National Stadium in Oeiras, the New Zealand coach admitted he had been given an “incredible opportunity” and was taking on the “challenge” of “continuing to improve” the team that “excited everyone” at the last World Cup so that “there are no sporadic situations.”

“Of course, the main goal is to participate in the 2027 World Cup, but not just to participate. We must do this very well. With the new World Cup format, Portugal shouldn’t just be there to compete. , but to compete,” determined the New Zealand technician.

In this sense, he praised the work of the previous technical team led by the Frenchman Patrice Lagisque, “whose results, performances and style of play speak for themselves,” confirmed that he liked this vision of rugby, and emphasized that he intends to “continue to develop the style of rugby , which suits the “Portuguese” players.”

“They are capable of playing exciting rugby, playing with the ball and space. And that has always been my philosophy in all the teams that I have coached. I don’t like to hit a wall, so I don’t ask my players to do that.” So, do it. I want the ball to spin and we have the physical and technical ability to do that,” he said.

To do this, players must “be fast, strong and willing” to work with “professionalism” – a word he defined as “attitude, not money”, and even recalled the period when he played for the national team. New Zealand, “until 1996, when the All Blacks were at their peak and not a single player was earning a penny.”

“The meaning of representing the national team goes deeper. I hope the Portuguese player comes to play for something more important. Regardless of whether he is paid or not, I hope his attitude is worthy of representing the national team. national team,” he said when asked about his views on the importance of professionalizing the team.

Currently leading Biarritz in the French Pro D2, the 52-year-old coach has committed to working with the Portuguese team for the next four years and will “split his time between Portugal and France” to understand “the reality”. rugby in Portugal” and “maintain relationships” with French clubs, where an important part of the Portuguese national team players play.

The importance of these relationships with French clubs was suggested by the president of the Portuguese Rugby Federation, who emphasized that he chose “a person with the background and profile exactly as he expected.”

“He has the type of game that we like, he has experience in French rugby, where he is still the coach of a famous club, so we have all the conditions and we have absolute confidence in Simon. [Mannix]who was an All Black at a very young age and is a man with great ambitions, just like us,” concluded Carlos Amado da Silva.

Regarding the team that will accompany him, the leader of the federation explained that he is “in the process” of selecting a “forward coach” to “close” the process, retaining “the entire previous squad”, including “João Mirra” as “number”. two”, a coach who “has been and will continue to play a dominant role in the development of national rugby”.

Mannix takes over the role of Portugal selector after Wolves were led by a trident of World Rugby advisers led by Argentina’s Daniel Hourcade during the Rugby European Championship 2024 (REC24).

The New Zealander will take over from France’s Patrice Lagisquet, who qualified the team for the last World Cup and captained the team in France in 2023, and Sebastien Bertrand, who was introduced shortly after the competition but left about a month later.