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Portugal lock José Madeira targeted for Top 14 switch

Jose Madeira of Portugal arrives at the stadium prior to the Rugby World Cup France 2023 match between Georgia and Portugal at Stadium de Toulouse on September 23, 2023 in Toulouse, France. (Photo by Pauline Ballet - World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)

USA Perpignan are already making changes for next season, despite not yet knowing whether they will be in the Top 14 or Pro D2, with Portugal’s José Madeira under consideration by the Catalan club.

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The 48-cap international has been in talks with Perpignan for several weeks, but a deal remains some way off. A source close to the club said the Catalans are determined to persuade the 24-year-old to join and hope to add him to their squad in June.

RugbyPass understands several Pro D2 sides and one Top 14 club are also interested in the Portuguese international, but Perpignan currently lead the race.

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Madeira arrived in France in 2020 to join FC Grenoble’s espoirs but was quickly promoted to the senior side and made his Pro D2 debut in September that year. Since then, the former Belenenses Rugby utility forward has earned more than 80 caps and become one of the club’s co-captains.

At international level, Madeira made his Portugal debut in 2019 and quickly became a regular in Patrice Lagisquet’s matchday 23. The lock missed Portugal’s opening match at the World Cup through injury but started the remaining three games, playing a key role in the historic win over Fiji.

In 2026, Madeira captained the Lobos while Tomás Appleton recovered from injury.

His potential arrival in Perpignan could be brought forward following Jamie Ritchie’s injury. The Scotland forward was replaced at half-time against England and is expected to be sidelined for two to three months.

As reported earlier, a deal is not yet complete, but FC Grenoble have confirmed that Madeira will not renew his contract and will become a free agent in June. Cody Thomas of Portugal and former Lion Hanru Singrel will also leave the club at the end of the season.

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JW 4 hours ago
New report details source of Ardie Savea's All Blacks frustrations

Yeah it’s hard to be critical of Razor but of choices in his first year of the loosies he constantly played Ardie at 8. It would seem that was always the plan and that Hoskins was surplas to requirements (7, with Dalton then Cane, as was fairly happy with but understand the calls to drop Cane for his last test, along with TJ, and 6 was shared around nicely I thought) and he didn’t have the alround game of Ardie to simply overtake him at 8 (and use Ardie elsewhere). Of course he did that exact thing next year, too late for HS. Then last year 7 was fine if though the same problem was brought about by using Ardie (always leaves a component of a back three missing) there so often stopping Dalton from getting opportunities. At 6 Parker just had one or two too many games for me but 8 was shuffled around nicely, even if I don’t know why Lakai was thought to be the key there.

Of course a lot of rotation was brought about by, you guesed it, injury, still. Now to be fair to Razor, in reality we have no idea if he had to manage Ardie this way, based on NZRs desires with his contract (we have seen them move heaven and earth to retain him), and if he benched him often whether that would have caused him to leave or not. Or even that Hoskins would have accepted a jersey unless it was with a single digit on it, and a regular pick, as he had had to work his way back to the team without a big bump in his contract (of loosing AB selection early on) of other people his standing, so he also might have still put his family and therefor more over the jersey.



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