Manuel Vareiro Interview: From social media criticism to climbing to the top
Vareiro in action against Spain earlier this year
©Luís Cabelo Fotografia
The first thing that greets visitors on the Rugby World Cup’s official website is a countdown clock, ticking steadily at the top of the page.
With 554 days to go until the tournament kicks off in Australia, the team that captured hearts at the 2023 Men’s World Cup has plenty of time to savour and build on their latest triumph.
After 22 years of ups and downs, from being relegated to the Rugby Europe Trophy to winning their first-ever World Cup game against Fiji, Portugal recently enjoyed the sweet nectar of becoming champions of the Men’s Rugby Europe Championship.
Twenty-two years of hard work across several generations pushed the ‘Lobos’ closer to glory, and now they have the most coveted prize in men’s Rugby Europe in their possession, with the likes of Manuel Vareiro playing a critical role in it all.
The Provence Rugby utility back, who started his rugby journey playing for Lisbon’s GD Direito, slotted 12 points from the tee in their 19-17 victory over Georgia.
He also prevented Davit Niniashvili and Akaki Tabutsadze from getting inside the Portuguese in-goal area, a performance which earned Vareiro the Player of the Match award.
Nearly two weeks on, the 21-year-old reflects on one of the most historic days in Portuguese rugby.
“It was an unbelievable feeling to what was a spectacular final!” he tells TRU.
“You could tell from the way we celebrated. It was a historical achievement for us. I just went running, looking for my family to embrace them.”
While the ’Lobos’ beat Georgia in 2026, one year ago, they had been upended by Romania in Lisbon in the bronze medal final, the second defeat in a streak of four losses.
Vareiro, who started as Portugal’s fly-half in that 21-7 defeat, feels the team never gave up against Georgia.
“We are a young squad compared to the majority, as in our 23 for the final, only two players are above 30 years,” he explains.
“We have been grinding and working hard since last year. Yes, we endured a rough 2025, but our ambition was there, and our passion was there, and the results speak for themselves.”
For Vareiro, it has been a year of change and improvement, having overcome several obstacles.
“It has been a rollercoaster of a last 12 months,” he continues.
“Last year, by this time, I wasn’t doing so well, as I didn’t perform at the level I'd hoped against Spain and Romania. People criticised me a bit, and in hindsight, I shouldn’t have looked at some comments on social media.
“I got injured as well, so the perfect storm!”
“However, I had already signed with Provence, and I was able to regain my focus and saw my departure to France as a whole new chapter of my life.
“I moved to Provence with the goal of enjoying rugby, even if I was going to turn pro. I grew up in those first three months abroad and everything fit into place.”
While he is only 21, Vareiro sounds like an experienced player who has been through thick and thin, as he explains his way of thinking.
“That has been my mindset since I was young. On my worst days, I don’t allow myself to self-pity or spend time thinking about it. I have to pick myself up, enjoy the game and trust in my skills and in myself.”
But that’s not what his mindset is all about, as there’s more to it.
For example, the way he took the tee after Domingos Cabral missed Portugal’s two early penalty kicks against Georgia caught everyone’s attention, especially by how fast Vareiro kicked the ball.
“I’m not the type of kicker that needs time to kick well. For me, the correlation between time and concentration is non-existent.
“It has been my way since I was young, despite my father telling me to spend more time before hitting the ball!
“In that moment, I just positioned the ball and looked at the goalposts twice. I had to reposition it as it wasn’t how I wanted, so I gave it a tweak and thought to myself, ‘Manuel, you're training every day for this goal. You know how critical this is. Kick it!”
“I think Georgia’s approach to the game, to go for the lineout or opt for the scrum rather than kick to the poles, was due to the fact we could convert a penalty from anywhere in the field.
“In the end, our option to take the tee was important for our win.”
Vareirocan still recall the game play-by-play, making his task of picking the moment of the match a harder one.
“There were several key moments from that two-player tackle done by Vincent Pinto and Rodrigo Marta to that 78th-minute conversion.
“However, the biggest moment for me was when Georgia scored their third try [on 67 minutes] which left us trailing by eight points.
“The team could’ve stopped believing, but we didn’t, and from there we won a scrum and added three additional points.”
Portugal’s win will act as a catalyst to attract a new generation of players, volunteers and fans in the build-up to next year’s World Cup.
However, Vareiro is quick to stress that the exploits of the 2007 Lobos - the first Portuguese side to reach a World Cup - were pivotal for the country.
For him, those exploits gave guys like José Madeira and Rodrigo Marta the push to play rugby, people he now shares the pitch with.
“At the end of the day, I feel proud for having shared the pitch with guys like José Madeira and Tomás Appleton.
“Tomás is someone that I enjoyed watching when I was a kid, and now I’m playing beside him. José is an example, especially for the youngest members of the squad, as his dedication and work rate are unreal.”
Nonetheless, that landmark day for him, his teammates and his country will quickly be put on the back-burner, withVareiro fully focused on helping club side Provence reach the Pro D2 play-offs.
Provence currently sit third, two points off second-placed Colomiers, who they host on Friday night.
“It is easy to come back to earth, as in France and in the Pro D2, I can’t feel comfortable,” Vareiro says.
“I have to be at my best to have a chance to be picked for the matchday 23. I want to be better, I want to show myself that I can go even higher, and that’s why Provence has been key for my growth.
“I have grown up so much as a human, as I had to leave my family and the warmth of my home to embrace the unknown. I couldn’t remain the same guy I was one year ago. I had to become more mature.
“Of course, if you told me four years ago that I would be playing in the Pro D2 and helping Portugal win the Men’s Rugby Europe Championship at 21, I wouldn’t have believed it.
“But I would be lying if I said I wasn’t doing everything I can to climb to the top.”
Before he completely closes off the chapter of the 2026 Men’s Rugby Europe Championship, Vareiro reminds everyone that the ‘Lobos’ are already thinking about July and Tests against USA, Canada and Tonga.
“The Men’s Rugby Europe Championship final was the end of my chapter as a young 21-year-old player,” he says.
“Now, a new phase of my life and career starts. Doesn’t matter if I was the ‘Player of the final’, what matters now is to help my club and the ’Lobos’.
“Before wondering about what we can do in the World Cup, our focus is on the next international window. We want to keep our success going, as we can still become more ambitious and stronger.”
