The Clube de Rugby Universitário do Algarve (CRUAl) is more than just a rugby club; it is a rugby family. Their key objective is to offer coaching for young children from the age of six upwards. They have long been established in Faro and, in later life, in Lagoa. But the club is now looking to attract young rugby players from the west of the region, and, as of September 2025, has opened its third base in Lagos. Ricardo Duarte is overseeing the Lagos project, but, as Tomorrow’s sports editor, David Lugg finds out, it is not an easy task.
Founded by a group of students at the University of Algarve in 1992, CRUAl began as a way for players to continue playing the sport they loved whilst pursuing their education in Faro. Over the years, the club has evolved into a community project that promotes the core values of rugby as essential stepping stones of life. Ricardo Duarte is keen to pass on these values to the children of the west Algarve. “We have the potential for a big success here. We want to reach out to boys and girls from ages eight to sixteen. There are a lot of kids in the area, but it has been difficult to reach out to them.”
Indeed, rugby is by no means the go-to sport in Portugal, but the signs are positive for both men’s and women’s rugby in the country. The men’s team will again be present at the World Cup in 2027, whilst the women’s side are enjoying a meteoric rise up the rankings after reforming in December 2021, following twenty-six years of inactivity.
It is not just promoting rugby that is an issue in the Lagos area. Training takes place at the Estádio Municipal, but it is currently undergoing a redevelopment and the area looks a little unsightly. Wisely, this is not something that Ricardo wants to focus on too much. He is happy that there is a pitch on which to practise. “They are working on the redevelopment and when it is done, we will hopefully have a much larger pitch to play both rugby and touch rugby.”
I ask Ricardo about where his love for the sport originates. “Rugby has been my sport of choice since I was 18 years old. I’m thirty-six now, so it has been for half of my life. I received a call and played full back for five minutes and immediately thought that this is my sport. Since then, I have only missed training when I was sick.”
Touch rugby is also a major part of Ricardo’s life. “I got into touch rugby just before the pandemic. I play for CRUAl and I also play for the national touch rugby team. Last year, another colleague and I went to Scotland to play for Portugal (at the European Seniors Touch Cup). And I will soon have the try-outs and practices for France 2026.”
But right now, Ricardo’s main objective is getting more boys and girls to come and give rugby a go. Players can be new to the game or have played for years, but the key is to teach them the core values of rugby, something often lost in the national sport of football. “The biggest difference is respect. Whether it is the players or even the referee. Rugby can create respect in people.”
And that encapsulates what should appeal to parents in the west Algarve. Is there a finer life lesson than respect? Especially when the kids are having fun, expending energy and keeping fit at the same time. CRUAl’s mission statement is Discipline, Respect, Integrity, Passion, and Solidarity (D.R.I.P.S.) – both on the pitch and off it.
“There are many people in Lagos who want to exercise and they are looking for a team. We offer them something different that they may not have played before. We meet on Mondays and Wednesdays from half six to half seven. It’s free to come along and try it, to see if they like it. If they do, they can become a member.”
There is movement towards an open day in the spring for parents and children to come down and give rugby a try. This will follow the completion of the redevelopment of the pitch. But for the time being, if you are between 8 and 16, or if you think your son or daughter would like to join in, then head down to the Estádio Municipal in Lagos on a Monday and Wednesday evening. You might just find that rugby and its values will stick with you for life.
For more information, contact Ricardo Duarte on +351 918 051 377 or crualg@gmail.com
