Benfica end one of rugby's longest waits to win Top 12 title

After 25 long years of waiting, SL Benfica has climbed back to the top of Portuguese men’s rugby, winning the coveted Top 12 for the first time since 2001. The Lisbon reds clinched the title this Saturday, despite conceding a 28-14 defeat to GDS Cascais, who finished second.

At the Hipódromo Manuel Possolo, the new title holders endured 40 minutes with just 14 players after Elliot Ryan was sent off for stomping an opponent. Despite the setback, the águias held firm, preventing Cascais from securing a winning bonus point — an outcome that ultimately proved enough to seal the title.

SL Benfica, the club with the most registered members in the world (400,000), was also among the first Portuguese clubs to establish a rugby team, contributing heavily to the sport’s early spread.

While Belenenses Rugby won the inaugural Portuguese Premiership in 1959, SL Benfica went on to complete a three-peat between 1960 and 1962.

Despite their early dominance, the Eagles were surpassed by CDUL, Belenenses, Cascais and Direito in the following decades, managing only sporadic titles, with the last coming in 2001.

Over the past five years, Benfica has re-emerged as a title contender, having come close on a few occasions before this season’s breakthrough.

Coached by former Lobos legends António Aguilar and Francisco Fernandes, SL Benfica was undisputably the top side from start to finish, claiming 13 wins from 15 games. Fernandes’ successful season as a coach hasn’t gone unnoticed in France, with rumours that the former prop could be joining the coaching staff of a ProD2 side.

The Lisbon club is one of the few Portuguese teams employing full-time players, with former England U20 and Gloucester Rugby prop Ollie Adkins, Canadian international Izzak Kelly and Hawke’s Bay back Hayden Hann among their top performers.

As for Portuguese internationals, SL Benfica has signed José Lima, Guilherme Vasconcelos, João Lima and Frederico Couto in recent years, raising the team’s profile in the country.

Benfica is now tied with Belenenses for third place on the all-time list of Portuguese title winners, with 10. GD Direito sits second with 12, while CDUL leads with 20.