Taça de Portugal de Rugby Feminino explained

Founded:2004
Number Of Teams:10
Region:Portugal
Current Champions:Sporting
(2nd title)
Most Successful Club:Benfica
(8 titles)

The Taça de Portugal de Rugby Feminino (English: Women's Portuguese Rugby Cup) is annual Portuguese rugby union competition played by women's rugby teams of Portugal. It started in 2004, as the equivalent knock-out competition to the men's Portuguese Rugby Cup and is run by the Portuguese Rugby Federation. Initially played by 15 players, from 2009 that number fluctuated between 13 and 15. Starting in 2013, its only played by the Sevens variant.

Since its first edition the competition has been dominated by Benfica, who won it on eight occasions. Its major opponent was initially Agrária, playing five finals with them; after 2012 Técnico emerged as biggest challenger and more recently, Sporting.

History

The Women's Portuguese Rugby Cup was created in 2004, following the rapid growth of women's rugby in Portugal at the start of the 21st century. With the first nationwide league created just four years earlier, there was a need for an annual cup competition that mimics the men's tournament, the Portuguese Rugby Cup.[1] Its inaugural winner was Benfica who beat Agrária by 5–0. Agrária revenged that loss in the following year, defeating Benfica by 7–3. In the third year of competition, the two clubs met in the quarter-finals and Agrária beat them again.[2] After knocking out Técnico in the semis, Agrária outpaced CDUP in the final by 22–0 on 14 April 2007, lifting their second trophy.[3] The 2007-08 Final was a re-edition of the first two seasons, opposing Agrária against Benfica. Agrária eliminated CRAV and Agronomia, while Benfica beat RC Lousã and Técnico, in the quarter and semi-final, respectively.[4] [5] On 23 February 2008, on the Estádio Universitário de Lisboa, Benfica won 17–10, conquering their first trophy in 3 years.[6] They retained it in 2008–09, after beating CDUP by 11–0 in the final. The sixth season was again disputed by the same two clubs who dominate the competition, Benfica and Agrária. After the first beat Técnico and the latter defeat CDUP in the semis,[7] they met in Abrantes on 27 March 2010, with Benfica winning 22–0 in the fourth final between them.[8] In 2010–11, the competition was expanded to Rugby sevens variant. On the standard format with 13 players, Benfica played their fourth consecutive final, after beating Agronomia in the semis by 51–0.[9] They went against Técnico, who defeat Agrária by 20–10. At the Complexo Desportivo Caldas Rainha on 2 April 2011, Benfica won 21–5, extending their reign to five wins.[10] The eighth edition was for a fifth time, decided between Benfica and Agrária. After eliminating Técnico,[11] Benfica successfully defended their trophy on 18 February 2012, with a 27–0 win against Agrária.[12] [13] The streak of five consecutive wins was finally stopped in 2012–13, when Técnico beat them 14–10 on 19 March 2013.[14]

Starting in 2013, the competition has been exclusively for the Sevens variant. The new format split the qualifying stage in three regions, to determine a top four and bottom four. Benfica and Técnico were again the finalists after beating SC Porto and Agrária, respectively.[15] On 8 March 2014, in Campo da Moita, Benfica revenged the loss of 2013 by beating Técnico for 29–7.[16] The two clubs continued their contend in the next edition final, played on 14 March 2015. This time, the win fell to Técnico after beating Benfica by 14–12.[17] In 2015–16, a new competitor appeared, Sporting, who met their cross-town rivals Benfica, on 7 May 2016, losing 27–0.[18] Sporting would go on to win their first trophy in the competition in 2016–17 after beating Sport Rugby by 36–19.[19] They retained the trophy in the following year after beating Benfica by 14–12.[20]

Taça de Portugal finals

[21]

SeasonWinnerScoreRunner-up
2004–05Benfica 5–0Agrária
2005–06Agrária7–3Benfica
2006–07Agrária (2) 22–0CDUP
2007–08Benfica (2)17–0Agrária
2008–09Benfica (3) 11–0CDUP
2009–10Benfica (4) 22–0 Agrária
2010–11Benfica (5) 21–5Técnico
2011–12Benfica (6)27–0Agrária
2012–13Técnico14–10Benfica
2013–14Benfica (7)29–7Técnico
2014–15Técnico (2)14–12Benfica
2015–16Benfica (8)27–0Sporting CP
2016–17Sporting CP (1)36–19SC Porto
2017–18Sporting CP (2)14–12Benfica
2018–19Sporting CP (3)31–0Benfica
2019–20Sporting CP (4)28–5Benfica
2020–21- - -
2021–22Sporting CP (5)20–10Agrária
2022–23Sport CP/CRAV/Braga (1)15–14Sporting CP
2023–24

Performance By Club

scope=colClubscope=colWinnersscope=colRunners-upscope=colYears wonscope=colYears runner-up
scope=rowBenfica862005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 20162006, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020
scope=rowSporting522017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 20222016, 2023
scope=rowAgrária252006, 20072005, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2022
scope=rowTécnico222013, 20152011, 2014
scope=rowSport CP/CRAV/Braga102023
scope=rowCDUP022007, 2009
scope=rowSC Porto012017

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Competições Nacionais - Vencedores por Competição. National competitions - Winners by competition. Federação Portuguesa de Rugby. 8 March 2016. Portuguese. MS Excel file. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160326032400/http://fpr.pt/competicao_nacional/vencedores.asp. 26 March 2016.
  2. Web site: Taça Portugal Feminina 1/4 Final 2006/07. Women's Portuguese Cup 1/4 Final 2006/07. Federação Portuguesa de Rugby. 8 March 2016. Portuguese.
  3. Web site: Boletim Jogo Agrária CDUP 22-0. Match Report Agrária CDUP 22-0. Federação Portuguesa de Rugby. 8 March 2016. Portuguese.
  4. Web site: Taça Portugal Feminina 1/4 Final 2007/08. Women's Portuguese Cup 1/4 Final 2007/08. Federação Portuguesa de Rugby. 8 March 2016. Portuguese.
  5. Web site: Taça Portugal Feminina 1/2 Final 2007/08. Women's Portuguese Cup 1/2 Final 2007/08. Federação Portuguesa de Rugby. 8 March 2016. Portuguese.
  6. Web site: Boletim Jogo Benfica Agrária 17-10. Match Report Benfica Agrária 17-10. Federação Portuguesa de Rugby. 8 March 2016. Portuguese.
  7. Web site: Taça Portugal Feminina 1/2 Final - Rugby XIII I Divisão 2009/10. Women's Portuguese Cup 1/2 Final Rugby XIII I Divisão 2009/10. Federação Portuguesa de Rugby. 8 March 2016. Portuguese.
  8. Web site: Boletim Jogo Benfica Agrária 22-0. Match Report Benfica Agrária 22-0. Federação Portuguesa de Rugby. 8 March 2016. Portuguese.
  9. Web site: Taça Portugal Femenina - Rugby 13 1/2 Finais 2010/11. Women's Portuguese Cup - Rugby 13 - 1/2 Final 2010/11. Federação Portuguesa de Rugby. 8 March 2016. Portuguese.
  10. Web site: Boletim Jogo Benfica Técnico 21-5. Match Report Benfica Técnico 21-5. Federação Portuguesa de Rugby. 8 March 2016. Portuguese.
  11. Web site: Taça Portugal Femenina XV 1/2 Final 2011/12. Women's Portuguese Cup - XV 1/2 Final 2011/12. Federação Portuguesa de Rugby. 8 March 2016. Portuguese.
  12. Web site: Boletim Jogo Benfica Agrária 27-0. Match Report Benfica Agrária 27-0. Federação Portuguesa de Rugby. 8 March 2016. Portuguese.
  13. News: Benfica ganha Taça de Portugal feminina. Benfica wins Women's Portuguese Cup. 8 March 2016. SL Benfica. 19 February 2012. Portuguese.
  14. Web site: Boletim Jogo Técnico Benfica 14-10. Match Report Técnico Benfica 14-10. Federação Portuguesa de Rugby. 8 March 2016. Portuguese.
  15. Web site: Taça Portugal Sevens - Feminino Final 1/2 Final (1º-4º Lugar) 2013/14. Women's Portuguese Cup in Sevens 1/2 Final (1º-4º Place) 2013/14. Federação Portuguesa de Rugby. 8 March 2016. Portuguese.
  16. Web site: Boletim Jogo Benfica Tecnico 29-7. Match Report Benfica Tecnico 29-7. Federação Portuguesa de Rugby. 8 March 2016. Portuguese.
  17. Web site: Boletim Jogo Tecnico Benfica 14-12. Match Report Tecnico Benfica 14-12. Federação Portuguesa de Rugby. 8 March 2016. Portuguese.
  18. Web site: Boletim Jogo: Sporting Benfica 0-27. Match Report Sporting Benfica 0-27. Federação Portuguesa de Rugby. 2 June 2016. Portuguese. 7 May 2016.
  19. News: Sporting conquista a Taça de Portugal feminina de râguebi. Sporting wins Portuguese Cup. 20 May 2017. Público. 20 May 2017. Portuguese.
  20. News: Sporting CP vence Taça de Portugal. Sporting wins Portuguese Cup. 10 June 2018 . Sporting CP . 3 March 2018 . Portuguese.
  21. Web site: Taça de Portugal Histórico até 2010. Portuguese Cup History until 2010. Rugby Portugal. 9 March 2016.