S.L. Benfica (rugby union)

Active departments of Sport Lisboa e Benfica
Football	Futsal	Basketball
Roller hockey	Handball	Volleyball
Rugby union	Athletics	Swimming
Table tennis	Billiards	Canoeing

Sport Lisboa e Benfica is an amateur rugby union team based in Lisbon, Portugal. Benfica is one of the most ancient Portuguese rugby teams. The men's section competes in the Campeonato Nacional de Rugby I Divisão, the Portuguese second tier. On 27 June 2014, the club refused the invitation to join the first division.^[1] The women's section competed in the Campeonato Nacional, the first tier, but recent changes in the competition means they only compete in Seven's.

Unlike the club other sports, which are in his direct control, thus getting vast investment. Rubgy is not directly under the club control, but rather as an association which manages the sport with the permission from the club, so investment is far more limited. It has no field of its own, but rents Campo da Sobreda for its games, and the youth teams play in Pupilos do Exército, near Colégio Militar in Lisbon.

Benfica hoped to secure a rugby field in Oeiras in a 20-year rental but the project never materialized. It was supposed to have a grass field capable of international matches, plus 2 synthetic fields for youth development, 3 football fields for Under 12, a 2,000 people stand and additional logistical support.^[2]

The club had a player in Portuguese National Team which participated in the 2007 Rugby World Cup, Diogo Gama.

Squad 2011–12

Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.

Player Position Union Alvaro Raul Santillan Lock Argentina Andrew Christopher Velasco Fly-half England António João Gomes Da Silva Prop Portugal Bruno Miguel Carreiras Silva Teodoro Wing Portugal Bruno Terrera Fly-half Portugal Carlos Evaristo Silva Gomes (c) Wing Portugal Dario Jerez Leavy Hooker Argentina Diogo Jorge Santos da Costa Flanker Portugal Filipe Correia da Silva Hooker Portugal Filipe Olegario Lopes Pereira Wing Portugal Filipe Romeu Esteves Grenho Fly-half Portugal Frederico da Silva Dimas Flanker Portugal Gonçalo Filipe Oliveira Ramos Flanker Portugal Gonzalo Mosso Centre Argentina João Francisco Lourenço Luz Ventosa Flanker Portugal João Maria Ezequiel Escudero Vinas Wing Portugal João Pedro Nora Mestre Centre Portugal João Santiago Mira Ponce Dentinho Prop Portugal José Miguel Martins Moita Wing Portugal Juan Pablo Alvarez Number 8 Argentina Leandro Martin Pereyra Vallejo Prop Portugal Luis Filipe Cruz e Silva Pinot Coelho Wing Portugal Luis Tiago Reis Pinho Meneses Nazaré Centre Portugal Narciso Pinto Costa Monteiro Prop Portugal Nuno Alexandre Cardoso Figueiredo Lock Portugal Patrício Andrés Desmond Miranda Lock Chile Ricardo Jorge Canhão Serrano Lock Portugal Ricardo Jorge Mira Romeiras Prop Portugal Tiago de Campos Mendes Caeiro de Sá Fullback Portugal Tiago Tavares Bastos Hooker Portugal Urryel Bandeira Maquengo Tores Wing Portugal Vasco Pereira Antunes Scrum-half Portugal

Current coaching staff

Position	Staff
President	João Queimado
Manager	Bruno Conceição
Manager	Filipe Grenho
Manager	Bruno Teodoro
Head Coach	José Mendes da Silva
Team Director	Ricardo Nuno Rodrigues
Physical Fitness Coach	Carlos Banza

Honours

According to the official website^[3]

Men

• Portuguese Championship

Winners (9): 1959–60, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1969–70, 1975–76, 1985–86, 1987–88, 1990–91, 2000–01

• Portuguese Cup

Winners (10): 1961, 1965, 1966, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1983, 1984, 1985

• Iberian Cup

Winners (4): 1971, 1986, 1988, 1991

• Campeonato Regional de Lisboa

Winners (12): 1931, 1936, 1937, 1939, 1942, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1954, 1955

• Taça de Honra da FPR

Winners (3): 1949, 1950, 1966

• Torneio Abertura

Winners (13): 1947, 1948, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1962, 1971, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984

• Campeonato Nacional 2ª Divisão

Winners (4): 1975, 1976, 1984, 1996

• Campeonato Nacional Reservas

Winners (13): 1936, 1937, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1970, 1974, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992

• Torneio FPR Reservas

Winners (1): 1979

• Torneio de Sevilla

Winners (3):1969, 1970, 1979

Women

• Campeonato Nacional

Winners (5): 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13

• Taça de Portugal

Winners (6): 2004–05, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12

• Supertaça Nacional

Winner (7): 2006-07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13

• Campeonato Nacional de Seven's

Winners (3): 2010, 2013, 2014

• Taça de Portugal de Seven's

Winners (1): 2014

References

External links

• Official website (Portuguese)