The Portugal hooker Mike Tadjer believes his side have proved to their country that “rugby exists” after their thrilling first ever World Cup win against Fiji on Sunday.
Portugal claimed a historic 24-23 victory over the Pacific islanders thanks to Rodrigo Marta’s late try and Samuel Marques’ nerveless conversion. As a result, Portugal have moved up to 13th in the world rankings, leapfrogging Tonga, Samoa and Georgia, with whom they drew earlier in the competition.