Portuguese World Cup hero comes out of retirement to join struggling French club

Former Portugal hooker Mike Tadjer has come out of retirement to join his boyhood club Massy in France.

Despite representing Os Lobos, the 34-year-old was born in Massy, and represented the club earlier in his career. Though the World Cup was supposed to be a swansong for the former Perpignan No2, he has been drawn back to rugby just weeks later to help Massy, who are languishing near the foot of the Nationale- the third division in French rugby.

Tadjer will be available for them from this weekend, where he could play his first match since Portugal secured their first ever win at the World Cup with a last gasp victory over Fiji, where Tadjer said he could "die tomorrow".

The 34-cap international had a standout World Cup, which culminated in that win (as well as a draw with Georgia earlier in the tournament). Following the 24-23 triumph in Toulouse, he said: "Obviously I can die tomorrow. It's going to be an awesome day for me. I have retired after this World Cup, to finish like that it is unbelievable for me.

"Some are amateur in Portugal, some are professional in France. For four years we built [towards] this and today we are happy to win this game.

"I hope we continue to work in a good way for the next generation."