The Portuguese center, who participated in the 2023 World Cup with the Loboshangs up his crampons at age 29 for medical reasons.
At just 29 years old, Pedro Bettencourt is ending his career with immediate effect. His club, Oyonnax, announced the news on Wednesday, “with a lot of emotion”The Portuguese center has suffered several concussions, including one in training in April 2024. He had “had started a recovery process – with support from the club – but he was finally forced to hang up his crampons», Explains the club.
«It was not a simple decision but it was the most obvious…, explains Bettencourt in a press release. There is this regret of not having been able to say goodbye to the field and to the club as I would have liked but I keep all these experiences, these emotions and the human encounters throughout my time in Oyonnax. These five years have undoubtedly made me a better man, with this serenity of knowing that Oyonnax Rugby is on the right path, with the ambition that the club deserves.
“Outstanding performance during the World Cup”
Trained in Clermont, the Portuguese international (25 caps) has played with Oyonnax since 2019 after a stint with Carcassonne and the Newcastle Falcons, where he discovered the Premiership and the Champions Cup. French Pro D2 champion in 2023, he played 75 matches with the Oyonnax jersey, for 7 registered tries. He played in the 2023 World Cup with Portugal, a nation he also represented in rugby sevens between 2012 and 2015.
«Pedro was one of my first recruits as manager at Oyonnax Rugby and we thank him enormously for what he has done for the club on and off the pitch over recent seasons, says manager Joe El Abd. He left his mark on the club by being champion of France and with his exceptional performances with Portugal during the World Cup. He will always be part of the Oyonnax Rugby family and we support him in this new stage of his life.
