He is slated to step down after Os Lobos face the Springboks on July 20
After Patrice Lagisquet left the role of Portugal men’s head coach back in October, the union turned to Sébastien Bertrank – only for him to resign due to contract issues before November. Now Os Lobos has finally chosen their next head coach, as Daniel Hourcade takes the job until July.
The former Argentina head coach, who was appointed as World Rugby consultant for Portugal and Spain back in 2021, will take the reins for the 2024 Rugby Europe Championship and might extend his stay for the July test window, allowing the union to keep searching for a more suited candidate.
Daniel Hourcade had previously worked with the Portuguese Rugby Union as an assistant coach during Tomaz Morais’s tenure, which ended with the Portuguese side earning their first Rugby World Cup qualification back in 2007. He also was GD Direito’s head coach, helping to develop some of the most notable Portuguese players of the last 20 years, and had an impact on the growth of Portuguese rugby.
Hourcade will have former Uruguay and Brazil head coach Esteban Meneses (forward coach) and Rodolfo Ambrósio (set-piece) as his assistants, helped also by João Mirra (backline coach), Olivier Rieg (Strength and Conditioning director) and José Paixão, with rumours that Luís Pissarra will also rejoin the union.
Portugal starts their Rugby Europe Championship campaign on 3 February, playing against Belgium in Mons. The Lobos will also play against the Springboks on the 20th of July, their hardest Test ever. It is expected that Daniel Hourcade will stay in the role of Portugal head coach until the end of the tour.
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