Portugal forced into change of plans for historic Ireland Test

After the announcement last October, Portugal have been forced into making a major change to their first-ever match against Ireland, with the Portuguese Union having to change venues.

Due to a scheduling conflict, the hosts have to move from the Algarve to Lisbon, with the game now to take place in the Estádio Nacional do Jamor. The fixture is scheduled for July 12.

The announcement was made on Monday by the Federação Portuguesa de Rugby president Carlos Amado da Silva, who made the following statement to the Portuguese news agency Lusa: “The game will be hosted in Lisbon, in the Estádio Nacional’s Campo de Honra. We hope Portuguese and Irish fans can comprehend the situation and still show up to their teams. We had to make this adjustment due to the Estádio do Algarve being occupied on the agreed weekend.”

The Estádio do Algarve was picked in the first place due to the Algarve being one of the main Portuguese tourism hubs, but fans will now have to contend for Lisbon.

Fixture

Rugby Europe Championship

Romania

6 - 34

Full-time

Portugal

All Stats and Data

Portugal has guaranteed a third Men’s Rugby World Cup appearance, after successfully beating Belgium and Germany in the first two rounds of the Men’s Rugby Europe Championship 2025. In 2024 the Lobos had the opportunity of facing the Springboks and Scotland. Ireland will be their biggest home game since welcoming Italy in the summer of 2022.

Tickets are expected to go on sale in the next couple of months.

With the British and Irish Lions travelling this summer to Australia, Ireland made the decision to tour the emerging nations of Georgia, Portugal and Romania.

The tour is expected to start in Lelos territory before heading to Lisbon, wrapping up in Bucharest. This will be Ireland’s first time playing in Tbilisi and Lisbon, but they have previously visited the Romanian capital, more precisely in 2001.