Coventry Rugby Football Club has today announced a game against the Portuguese national side in Portugal on Saturday 4th August 2007. Coventry will feature as part of the Portuguese national side's World Cup warm-up campaign and will play a full game against the side at Brown Sport and Leisure Club in Vilamoura on the Algarve.

Browns Training Facility, Vilamoura, Algarve

Brown’s Sport and Leisure Club is fast building a reputation as the most elite rugby training facility in Europe. It boasts a full size training and playing pitch, specialist weight rooms, dedicated gymnasium, tennis courts, swimming pools and specialist restaurants which cater for the needs of the modern professional sportsman.

Coventry will travel out to the Algarve from Birmingham Airport on Wednesday 1st August 2007 and return the following Monday. The extra days before the game will be used as an elite training camp for the players to bond and train and further build their skills for the forthcoming season

Andrew Green, Coventry’s chairman, commented “This trip represents a fantastic honour for a club like Coventry RFC. It is rewarding to know for the whole team that work so hard that we are now being considered for games like this and we are being taken seriously as an English rugby side. I know the players and management team are very much looking forward to the trip and seeing some sun.”

Murray Henderson, Coventry’s head coach, stated “This is just what the team needs to build itself further; we have all worked very hard so far in the pre-season warm up with the players very committed to training. This trip will further enhance team spirit and bonding for what we believe will be a long and hard season. I know the players are looking forward to the honour of playing a national team and are excited about the game; however we all know that we are carrying Coventry’s name with us and the responsibility that entails."

Henderson further commented “The day after we get back from Portugal we will be heading to an army camp for six days of further hard work and committed team training. When we return from the army camp we all have a day off and then we have an opposed training session with Leicester RFC over at Welford Road. After this period, we should be ready to face National Division One rugby”.

Ends.

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