“Joga bonito” is a phrase utilized by Brazilians to explain how the sport of soccer needs to be performed.
“Joga” is the verb “to play” in Portuguese, whereas “bonito” means “stunning”. The philosophy revolves round particular person talent, creativity and a mindset to assault.
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Soccer isn’t just a sport in Brazil, it’s ingrained in tradition, with greater than two million registered gamers.
Rugby, however, nonetheless stays an unknown sport among the many majority of the individuals from the South American nation, even with Brazil making their debut on the Girls’s Rugby World Cup in opposition to South Africa on Sunday.
Brazil, who’re the lowest-ranked group on the World Cup in twenty fifth, have solely performed 16 Assessments of XV-a-side rugby and celebrated their first win in 2023 over Portugal.
Regardless of the huge distinction in participant pool, assets and international triumphs, the rugby-playing mindset stays the identical as that in soccer.
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“They’ve absolute pace and are at their best possible when they’re decisive and browse what is occurring in entrance of them and react within the second,” Brazil ladies’s sevens coach Crystal Kaua advised BBC Sport.
“I all the time say it’s like driving in Sao Paulo [which has 12 million inhabitants]. With the motorbikes, when you see house then it’s important to take it. They don’t seem to be massive so they need to make sensible and quick choices.”
To qualify for the World Cup, Brazil needed to defeat Colombia within the South American play-off – a hurdle that they had failed at six occasions beforehand.
With the ladies’s sevens group thriving on the World Collection, the choice was made to push for qualification by bringing of their sevens stars for the play-off sport, leading to a snug 34-13 victory.
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Among the many 32 gamers chosen for the World Cup, 11 have competed in at the least one Olympic Video games.
Fly-half Raquel Kochhann, who has solely six caps in XVs, was a kind of gamers that head coach Emiliano Caffera approached to assist seal qualification.
Just like the overwhelming majority of youngsters in Brazil, Kochhann’s dream was to play skilled soccer, however harm ended her hopes.
Brazil’s sevens group completed ninth on the Olympics in 2024 [Getty Images]
‘Most cancers isn’t all the time the tip of your life’
The 32-year-old opted to check bodily schooling at college and was really helpful to play rugby for the primary time due to her physicality.
“They lower my ladies’s soccer group however I nonetheless had my dream to signify my nation so I attempted one other means,” Kochhann advised BBC Sport.
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“I performed my first sport of rugby for my membership in 2011 and it was the primary time they gained the state video games. I used to be MVP (most useful participant) from the match.
“One other group invited me to play with them, it was a world match in Uruguay the place golf equipment play nationwide groups. We performed in opposition to Brazil and I noticed them for the primary time and stated ‘wow I need to be a part of this group.'”
Her footballing background provided some extent of distinction and helped seal a spot within the nationwide sevens squad by 2012.
The fast rise continued, with Kochhann taking part in sevens on the Rio Olympics after Brazil’s inclusion because the host nation, adopted by involvement ultimately the 2 Video games.
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She was additionally the Brazil flag bearer for final summer time’s Olympics in Paris, following a outstanding return to the game after being identified with breast most cancers in 2022.
To make her return after 18 months much more astounding, Kochhann had additionally suffered an anterior cruciate ligament harm.
“I advised the group I must step again and get remedy as I must do chemotherapy and radiotherapy,” she added. “The response of my group was head down and unhappy. I stated I do not need this power.
“It’s only a regular harm and after this time I’ll come again to play with you. One of many ladies stated ‘after you’re taking out the boobs are you going to run quicker?’ Everybody laughed and I stated ‘that is the power I need to make the remedy simpler’.
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“It was necessary for me to point out that for everybody that most cancers isn’t all the time the tip of your life and it is only one restart and you may come again and obtain actually massive issues.”
Kochhann (holding the Brazil flag) on the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics [Getty Images]
From powerful favelas to World Cup
Defeating the chances isn’t just Kochhann’s story, but additionally Brazilian rugby’s.
Spain, ranked thirteenth on this planet, defeated Brazil 41-12 within the lead-up to the match after seven video games, together with two non-Assessments, had been put within the diary this 12 months to enhance their competitiveness in XVs.
For his or her match debut, the gamers will put on a brand new package incorporating symbols to signify the power and ancestry of the gamers.
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“The exhausting in Brazil is a unique exhausting. The challenges I’ve seen are completely different to wherever I’ve seen on this planet,” Kaua added, having coached a big portion of the squad at sevens.
“These ladies are powerful, brave and courageous. Till you’ve got been right here you possibly can’t think about the magnitude of the place our gamers come from.
“Half of the sevens ladies are from these [tough favela] backgrounds, a big portion – perhaps greater than half. They’re inspiring the following era.
“Individuals in these areas are beginning to see rugby as a real choice to vary their life.”
Brazil face South Africa, Italy and France of their pool, all of that are massive rugby-playing nations, providing a super platform to catch the general public creativeness.
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“It’ll be powerful however I’ve little question that we’re going to make some noise in a single or two video games,” stated head coach Caffera.
Aim-kicking is a rarity in Brazil however is a talent that fits pure footballers.
Kochhann has turned to Youtube and Instagram to study, having solely drop-kicked conversions in sevens.
Nonetheless, confidence with a ball isn’t one thing Brazilians lack.
“I’m excited to point out how Brazilian kickers can do,” stated Kochhann, who solely began practising goal-kicking off a tee within the final three months.
“My kick is completely different as it’s a combine between a conventional rugby kick and soccer kick. I’ve my very own means.”
And Brazilians solely know one method to play.