Are Brazil Good at Rugby? Everything You Need to Know

Brazil is worldwide famous for football, not for rugby. But hang on—Brazil’s rugby team, called the Tupis, isn’t a total pushover. They’ve made big waves in South America and have even pulled off a couple of jaw-dropping upsets that made rugby fans do a double take.

If you’re eyeing rugby fixtures and see Brazil listed, don’t write them off right away. The Tupis have steadily climbed up the World Rugby rankings over the past decade. Back in the early 2010s, most people didn’t even know Brazil played rugby at all. Now, they’ve beaten sides like the United States and Chile in big international matches. Pretty wild for a country that’s all-in on the beautiful game.

Want to keep up with Brazil’s fixtures, or maybe catch a live stream? You just need to know where to look. A bunch of matches in the South American Championship or World Rugby Americas competitions are available online, especially during the rugby calendar’s busy months.

• Where Brazil Stands in the Rugby World
• Big Moments and Surprises
• Why Rugby Isn’t Huge in Brazil (Yet)
• How to Catch Brazil’s Next Matches

Where Brazil Stands in the Rugby World

If you compare Brazil to rugby’s big guns like New Zealand, England, or South Africa, there’s a huge gap. But that’s not really fair. In South America, Brazil is no longer sitting at the bottom of the pile. Over the last decade, they’ve closed the distance with more experienced neighbors like Chile and Uruguay, even sneaking a win or two against teams they used to fear.

The Brazil rugby squad, known as the Tupis, hit a big milestone in 2016 when they beat the USA in the Americas Rugby Championship. That win turned heads, because the USA was ranked about 20 spots higher at the time. Since then, Brazil has finished above teams like Paraguay and Colombia in regional tournaments. They’re always underdogs when facing Argentina, but nobody expects miracles there—Argentina are World Cup semi-finalists, after all.

Brazil usually sits in the World Rugby rankings between the 25th and 30th spots. Here’s how they’ve shaped up against other South American teams over the last few years:

Brazil’s growth is steady, not explosive. The team doesn’t qualify for Rugby World Cups yet, but every tournament they play, they gain more respect. Their games are usually physical, and they don’t roll over. If you’re looking for a team that's always improving and loves an upset, Brazil is worth watching.

For anyone following international fixtures, Brazil pops up in tournaments like:

• South American Rugby Championship
• World Rugby Americas Rugby Challenge
• Occasional test matches against teams from Europe or North America

Curious about their next step? For now, it’s about breaking into the world’s top 20 and getting closer to that elusive World Cup spot.

Big Moments and Surprises

Let’s talk about those times Brazil’s rugby team turned heads and made people actually check the score twice. The biggest upset has to be when Brazil beat the United States 24-23 in 2016. That wasn’t just any win—it was their first ever against the Eagles and a milestone for South American rugby. Brazilian players ran around like they’d just won the lottery, and honestly, few outside the squad saw it coming.

Another cool moment? In 2019, Brazil handed Canada a shock 18-10 defeat during the Americas Rugby Championship. Canada has gone to multiple Rugby World Cups, so no one expected the Tupis to come out on top in that one. Brazil’s defense was rock solid, and their scrums definitely made Canadian fans sweat.

Brazil have also built a reputation for improving quickly. Ten years ago, they’d lose by 60 or more against Argentina or Uruguay. Now, the gap’s a lot smaller—sometimes even under 20 points. They aren’t beating Argentina just yet, but they’re not getting steamrolled either.

You want numbers? Here’s how Brazil has performed in some of their most memorable matches in the last decade:

The Brazil rugby story isn’t about world domination yet, but their wins have definitely spiced up the fixture list in South America. It keeps fans guessing, because you really never know when Brazil might sneak up and pull off another surprise.

Why Rugby Isn’t Huge in Brazil (Yet)

Brazil and rugby just aren’t words you hear together much, mostly because the sports scene here is game-over dominated by football. Think about it: kids in Brazil learn to kick a soccer ball before they even learn to walk straight. Rugby, on the other hand, doesn’t really have that playground presence—yet.

The big reason? Football eats up most of the attention, money, and TV rights. Sponsors chase the crowds, and the crowds are glued to football. If you’re trying to find a rugby club in Brazil, you’ll notice there aren’t many, and most are found in big cities like São Paulo and Rio. Tons of schools don’t even offer rugby. It’s still a bit of a mystery for most kids outside the main rugby circles.

Here’s a quick look comparing the number of registered players and clubs in Brazil to some other countries:

But it’s not all bad news. There’s been a small but steady push from the Brazil rugby federation. Hosting the 2016 Olympics in Rio gave the sport a little nudge, since rugby sevens was on TV here for the first time. More youth clubs are popping up, especially after Brazil's men’s team shocked the U.S. in 2016's Americas Rugby Championship.

• If you’re in Brazil and want to get involved, the best shot is to look up local clubs in bigger cities or check if any expat groups are running training sessions.
• Follow Brazilian rugby on social media; they actually post English and Portuguese updates about games and training days.

Brazil isn’t a rugby powerhouse yet, but you can really feel the passion lag trying to catch up. Football’s the king, but rugby is knocking—who knows how loud it’ll get in the next few years?

How to Catch Brazil’s Next Matches

If you’re curious about when and where Brazil’s rugby team is playing, you’ve got options. Brazil’s fixtures, both home and away, usually pop up in a few main competitions: the South American Rugby Championship, the Americas Rugby Trophy, and qualification rounds for the Rugby World Cup. These tournaments happen every year or every couple of years.

Here’s the thing—rugby isn’t on the main national TV channels in Brazil, but streaming has changed the game. Lots of matches are free to watch online if you know where to find them:

• Brazil rugby games in the South American Championship are usually on the Sudamérica Rugby YouTube Channel—no subscription, no hassle.
• Local sports networks like ESPN Brasil or Bandsports sometimes pick up matches, especially if Brazil is playing a top-ranked rival.
• The RugbyPass and World Rugby websites stream some international matches, but you might need a VPN if you’re outside South America.

If you want to keep your finger on the pulse, check out Brazil Rugby’s official social media. They post fixture schedules, last-minute changes, and links to watch live matches. Following them on Instagram or Twitter is honestly the quickest way to get updates.

If the match is away, streaming or live tweets are your best bet, because foreign stadiums rarely have local TV coverage. Pro tip: games kick off at weird hours sometimes, especially if you’re tuning in from outside South America, so always double-check times listed on official sites.

Last thing—if you’re ever visiting Brazil, snagging a ticket is easy. Even big matches usually have seats left the day before. Stadiums in São Paulo and Belo Horizonte host most of the bigger games, and tickets are affordable compared to European or major football events.