Tomaz Morais
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Tomaz Eduardo Carvalho Morais (born in 1970 in Lobito, Angola) is a Portuguese rugby union coach and a former player.
The son of Portuguese settlers in Angola, Morais moved to Portugal following the 25 April 1974 revolution. He went on to become a Physical Education teacher and a rugby union player, playing as a center for Cascais. He took some time off from the sport because of his studies, but later returned to play for Direito. He won 22 caps for Portugal national rugby union team, before being forced to retire from rugby in 1996 due to a serious injury. He took the opportunity, however, to start a career as a rugby coach.
He became the coach of the Portuguese national team in September 2001, and he went to won the European Nations Cup, for the first time, in 2004. The same year, he was nominated for the award of "Trainer of the Year" by the IRB. In 2007, he led Portugal to their first Rugby World Cup finals, after beating Uruguay over two legs. At the 2007 Rugby World Cup finals, Portugal lost all four of their games, but scored in all of them, including a try in each one, and earned a bonus point in the 14-10 loss to Romania.
He co-wrote the 2006 book "Compromisso : Nunca Desistir" ("A Commitment : To Never Give Up") with the journalist Carlos Mendonça.
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