1
{{item.n}}
From Ceará to the World Cup: Taís Prioste’s unique rugby rise
Have you ever heard about the Brazilian duo ‘Anavitória’ with global hits like ‘Trevo’, ‘Pupila’ and ‘Ai Não’? There’s a song from the young Brazilian musicians that encapsulates what Brazil’s prop Taís Prioste is all about, and it goes like this:
ADVERTISEMENT
“Deixa eu me apresentar, Que eu acabei de chegar, Depois que me escutar, Você vai lembrar meu nome, É que eu sou dum lugar, Onde o céu molha o chão, Céu e chão gruda no pé, Amarelo, azul e branco”
“Let me introduce myself, I just got here, and after you listen to me, you will remember my name, because I am from a place where the sky soaks the ground, where the sky and ground sticks to your feet, Yellow, blue and white”
Taís Prioste was born and raised in Ceará, far away from the insanely busy metropolis of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, two of Brazil’s main rugby hubs. Born in 1999 into a humble household, she devoted herself to football, trying to find a way into the dreamland of professional football, which never came to be.
However, thanks to a special friend, she dipped her toes into rugby whilst at the Uniateneu University and found an ocean of happiness, opportunities and self-fulfilment.
“A friend told me about rugby and that I should come to try it out. After 20 minutes, I said to myself, ‘I want to be part of this’ and so I left football to become a rugby player. Because of that friend, my life forever changed.”
In rugby, she found a new family and the perfect environment to challenge herself to be something more. Although she had personal goals, rugby meant so much more to her than just a sport.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Rugby is for everyone. I know we say this a lot, but rugby, mainly in countries like Brazil, embraces everyone. Be it tall, strong, short, skinny, with a knack or not for sports, etc. It doesn’t raise unsurpassable walls; it actually lowers those fences to allow us to jump over them.”
Although Prioste became a staple of Yaras’ front-row club, she was actually a member of the backline gang in her days as a rugby player.
“When I first started, I was skinny, and I could run really fast. I loved to run with the ball in my hand and try to evade incoming tacklers. I still do, even if I am not 65kgs anymore! I feel so exhilarated every time that oval-shaped ball finds my hands.”
Whilst she nowadays plays in women-only rugby teams, at the beginning of her rugby journey, Prioste had to share the rugby ball with men, as there weren’t enough female members to field a team.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I was mostly the only girl playing rugby at my rugby team, which meant playing with the boys. I tackled big and heavy guys, taller than me. It made me stronger. I didn’t fear them, they are the same as me, rugby players. I just wanted to run, carry the ball, tackle, sidestep, etc. Because of that experience, I just wanted to keep going and find new challenges.”
Even though she had only started to fling the rugby ball around five years ago, Prioste quickly jumped from challenge to challenge, and in two years, she was called to join Brazil’s 7s and 15s national camps. In early 2020 she was playing rugby for her university team, by November 2022, she earned her first cap for Brazil in a match against their long-time rivals, Colombia.
“I remember the team feeling a bit anxious before the game, as the World Cup qualification was just two years away. And I, being ever the positive girl, tried to lighten up the mood as I just wanted to have a great time with my teammates. Yes, I felt that cold sensation coming from within my stomach, but once the game started, it all went away.”
Her rapid ascension to Test Match rugby also laid the groundwork for what was going to be the biggest change of her young life and career: moving to France. After collecting a couple more caps, Prioste was invited to join Montpellier, which she instantly said yes to, moving to the southern French club in the Summer of 2023.
View this post on Instagram
“Montpellier was an amazing chapter of my life. It put me to the test. My teammates were incredible, helping me around and pushing me to learn more and become part of the team. How could I not be happy playing for Montpellier? I was part of the rugby elite; I was imbued with a special rugby culture and doing all of that as a professional player.”
As it was her first time moving to Europe, one could assume she would be afraid of leaving her whole world behind, especially because there was no due date to return to Brazil. However, Prioste’s positive aura and mindset put an end to any doubts concerning her decision.
“I never felt anxious or afraid of moving away from home to a new country. I sometimes surprise myself by not having those thoughts, but it is the way that I am. I have no secrets other than smiling and maintaining a positive attitude, even in stressful circumstances. I always dreamed about these experiences, and I wasn’t going to allow self-doubt and fear to creep in and prevent me from finding new places and people.”
For the 26-year-old, discovering countries, people and getting to connect is one of rugby’s biggest hidden secrets.
“There’s a feature in rugby that we don’t talk as much as we should, and that’s how the sport, be it the players, staff, fans, etc, have a desire to understand and get to know each other. Most of us have big hearts and are always open to connecting with new people. That’s how I felt with the French rugby community. They embraced and loved me from the very second I arrived in Montpellier.”
After excelling in Élite 1 for Montpellier, Prioste moved to the Parisian team of AC Bobigny, becoming a well-known figure in the French women’s rugby scene. However, the change of clubs wasn’t the biggest highlight of 2024, as something else took the number one spot: qualification for the 2025 Rugby World Cup. But first, they had to defeat Colombia for the first time.
“It was the game of our lives. We needed to push ourselves over the limit. We had to become the Yaras we were always destined to become. When the kick-off came, we were in sync. In every scrum, lineout, carry, backline move, kick, restart and try, we worked as a team. We believed it was going to be our moment.”
With Brazil controlling the game from the get-go, the Yaras would impose a 34-13 scoreline, confirming their World Cup spot, with Prioste recalling what it meant for them to accomplish such a feat.
“As I had been replaced due to a sprain, I witnessed the final minutes from the bench, and it was one of those moments you won’t ever forget. When the match official blew the whistle for the final time, I came running in and embraced everyone. I kept shouting ‘Estamos na Copa’, which means ‘We are in the Cup’. We made history. The Yaras made history.”
The 29th of June 2024 will live forever as one of her best moments, one that Prioste still pinches herself every now and then to know it was real.
“For two months, I kept thinking if it was a dream, if it was real or if it was a simulation. It wasn’t, it was real. I was already 20 when I made my first rugby pass, and after four years, I was representing my country and being part of a team that qualified for the World Cup. My whole universe changed.”
“Nowadays, fans in France ask for my autograph, for a picture, or to share a few words. I feel responsible for being an example for everyone. I am a Yara, and I have to uphold our values and mantra every single day.”
With existing worries that Brazil won’t be able to compete against the top, Taís Prioste explains that the team has been cooking something vibrant for fans to showcase that they are ready for even bigger challenges.
“We are a young team from a nation that dreams of doing big things, and we are working hard to be able to shock and awe fans at the World Cup. I believe we will show not only our might, but also our culture and who we are, as Brazilians and Yaras. We are going to bring Brazil to England, so be ready.”
Going a bit into detail, Prioste attests to the team’s growth and how it has built, for example, a thumping scrum machine that can put the opposition to the test.
“We have made great progress in the last five years, especially in our set-piece and how to keep the ball in our possession, for example. The team as a group has grown in numbers and, at the same time, found consistency. Our head coach, Emiliano Caffera, has a concrete and direct way of explaining his mindset and ideas to us, which helps massively as we understand what the staff envisions for us.”
And concerning the scrum, Prioste herself testifies how even she became a firm devotee of the 8 vs 8 clash.
“It is funny to look back and remember that I started as a wing, and now I am a tighthead prop, which has helped me to feature in the Montpellier and AC Bobigny’s first XV. Nowadays, props are not only expected to scrum but also sprint in short distances and be fit. I love being a prop, I love to be involved in the sweet embrace of the scrum and to lock horns in a maul.”
With the World Cup being seen not as an end, but as a platform for elevating Yaras to a higher degree of respect and recognition, Taís Prioste is fully committed to not only continuing to dream but turning those dreams into reality.
“I can’t ask for more, as I have been gracious with the chance to represent my country. However, I want more, and I want to have even bigger dreams. I am going to experience a World Cup for the first time, and that makes me feel emotional. I want to keep growing and developing as a club and Test Match player and teammate; I want to finish my degree; I want to be a parent with my partner, Brena Prioste; and I want to keep being part of the Yaras history.”
We've ranked the best women's rugby players in the world, from 50 - 1! View the Top 50 now