Montpellier sign Portugal star Nicolás Martins

Portugal star Nicolás Martins has signed for Top 14 strugglers Montpellier, and will work under director of rugby Bernard Laporte from July until 2026.

Martins, who is not an academy French player (JIFF program), made it through the ranks playing for Castanet in Fédérale 1 in 2021/22 (at the time, France’s 4th division), before moving to ProD2 side Soyaux Angoulême XV Charente.

Martins' career took an astronomical turn when Patrice Lagisquet called him up for Os Lobos for the 2022 Summer Tour, solidifying his status as a first-team player in 2023, and finishing as one of the top tacklers at the Rugby World Cup.

At 25 years of age, Martins will have his first taste of the Top 14 and it is expected to be an intense fight to earn a starting berth, as Montpellier will have a powerful set of loose forwards at their disposal with the likes of Lenni Nouchi, Yacouba Camara, Sam Simmonds, and Billy Vunipola.

RugbyPass approached Martins for a comment, but the loose forward made no remarks as he is still committed to helping SAXV, as they are currently fighting to avoid relegation from the ProD2.

Montpellier are also in a relegation scrap, as they languish in 13th place. If Laporte’s team finish 13th, they will be forced to play a play-off match against the ProD2 runner-up, to be determined in June.