Historic Rugby Showdown: Ireland and Portugal Set to Clash in 2025!

Portugal and Ireland to Face Off in 2025

As announced by the Portuguese Rugby Union, Portugal and Ireland will meet in the Summer of 2025, marking the first-ever match between these two European rugby nations.

While the British and Irish Lions will be touring Australia under the guidance of Andy Farrell, the current top-ranked team in the world will have a busy schedule next July.

In a recent interview with the Portuguese media outlet Observador, the president of the Portuguese Rugby Union stated: “We had already attempted to schedule two games against the best teams in the world, but due to a tight schedule, it wasn’t possible... As we [Portugal] retained our position in the World Rugby rankings, there’s an interest from top nations to play against us. I can confirm that we will be playing Ireland in the Summer of 2025.”

The specific venue for the match is still uncertain, but it was previously announced that Ireland is set to tour Romania and Georgia in the same summer, suggesting that Portugal might be the host nation.

The Lobos have recently played at the Estádio Nacional do Jamor and Estádio do Restelo, both football venues. While there’s no official confirmation yet from either rugby union, sources close to the Portuguese side have indicated that the match is expected to take place on July 12, with the Estádio do Algarve as the preferred location.

In July, David Humphreys, IRFU’s performance director, explained to the Irish Independent the rationale behind the tour to these nations: “At this stage, the fixture list includes Georgia and Romania. It’s still to be confirmed how exactly it will look, but we’re eager to provide opportunities for those players who aren’t with the Lions.”

The last encounter for Ireland against Romania ended in a decisive 82-08 victory during their opening match at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, while they defeated Georgia 23-10 in the Autumn Nations Cup 2020.