Rugby union in Spain
Encyclopedia
Rugby union
in Spain
is a growing team sport. The national side
has played at the 1999 Rugby World Cup
and is considered one of the stronger European nations outside the Six Nations Championship
. Spanish club rugby is divided into divisions.
There are 20016 registered players in Spain, 1190 of whom are female. There are also some 220 clubs, and Spain is ranked 23rd in the world.
It was founded in 1923, and joined the International Rugby Board
in 1988. It is also a member of FIRA.
Like many continental European nations, Spanish rugby has a surprisingly long history. It was first introduced there before World War I
However, subsequent events such as the Spanish Civil War
, which was particularly violent in the sport's Basque and Catalan heartlands helped hinder its development. Traditionally there are three main rugby playing areas in Spain - Madrid
the capital, the Spanish Basque Country
, and the region of Catalonia
particularly around Barcelona
.
The earliest recorded game in Spain was in 1901, when an Englishman called Stuart Nicholson resident in Bilbao
,
However, the game lay largely dormant until after the end of WWI, and was reintroduced from the south of France
: Provence
and the French Basque Country.
in Toulouse
, returned to his native Barcelona
, and founded the Santboiana Club there. Santboiana's pitch was cleared by the players themselves, and according to Huw Richards, "a tree was tolerated and used as a coat hanger, until it was uprooted after a few games.
The first game in Madrid was in the 1920s as well, when Biarritz
and Tarbes
played an exhibition match in front of 12,000 spectators.
The score upset some of the fans, who protested by throwing cushion
s onto the pitch.
A Spanish XV played France
, including Yves du Manoir
, in 1927, but it was organised by a rebel governing body, and so is not usually recognised as a proper international.
Spain's first recognised international was in 1929 against Italy
, in Barcelona, in Montjuïc Stadium
, as part of the 1929 Expo. The Spanish Royal Family
attended and all of the players were Catalan. Spain won 9-0.
.
With the thawing of relations between the UK and Spain over the Gibraltar question
, rugby union in Gibraltar
has become more closely linked with its Spanish neighbours. Between 1968 and 1985, the land border between Spain and Gibraltar was closed. When it reopened, a number of games were played against sides from Seville
and Madrid
. Campo Gibraltar RFC now play in the Andalucian second division.
On the 2nd May, 1989, the Spanish women's team
played their first match, against France
, losing 0-28. In 2000, they joined the Women's Six Nations
, but in 2007, the tournament was altered so that Italy replaced Spain, in order to mirror the men's tournament
.
In playing standard, Spain occupies the third tier in Europe, behind Romania
and Georgia
. In more recent times, a fourth region has opened up along the beach resorts on the Mediterranean coast, the Canary Islands
and Balearics, thanks to the influx of expatriates. In these areas, however these rarely take in the locals. The exception is the Marbella Rugby club on the Costa Del Sol, whose members are an equal mix of expatriates from the UK, South America and locals. The success of this policy is displayed by the progress of their junior teams, recently reaching the final of the national club championships in 2010, thus giving them the title of second best side in the country in 2010 and then winning the club championship in May 2011 to become the best U16 club side in Spain. The Marbella players also constitute the majority of the regional Andalucian team which participate at national level A number of juniors from this region have been selected for regional as well as national teams. Also club rugby Torrevieja on the Costa Blanca have a similar make up of players Beach rugby
has become popular in many areas, as has rugby sevens
. There are various rugby sevens tournaments in the country, including the Benidorm Sevens.
In recent years, Estadio Anoeta
in the Basque Country has also been used for occasional Heineken Cup
rugby union fixtures by nearby French-Basque club Biarritz Olympique
. In the 2009–10 Top 14 season
, both Biarritz and fellow Basque
club Bayonne
will take one home match to the Anoeta. On 21 August, Bayonne will host Stade Français at the Anoeta, followed on 12 September by the Northern Basque derby between Biarritz and Bayonne, with BO as the home team. The stadium, which holds 32,076, was inaugurated in 1993.
Spain continues to be popular with touring sides, from the Britain, Ireland and France, due to its climate and good transport links.
of South America
, with the Spanish speaking nations of Argentina
and Uruguay
having qualified for
the Rugby World Cup
. However there is a substantial difference between their Spanish terms, and those of their European Spanish speaking counterparts.
In South America
, a combination of Spanish and English position names is used, because rugby was introduced there directly from England, after these countries became independent of Spain. French and Italian are included for comparison. French rugby vocabulary has been a strong influence on that of Spain, but not much on Latin American Spanish. Note that Ala is a flanker in South America, and a wing in Spain.
Javier Bardem
, played for the underage national team. Bardem was originally a flanker, but became a prop, and has been quotes as saying, ""being a rugby player in Spain is akin to be a bull-fighter in Japan." He is better known for his acting career which includes the likes of No Country for Old Men
, for which he won an Oscar, and Vicky Cristina Barcelona
, as well as a number of highly successful Spanish language films such as The Sea Inside (Mar adentro).
Other notable Spanish players include -
Football (soccer)
is the most popular sport in Spain, and as such, rugby union gets minimal media coverage. After the national team qualified for their first ever World Cup, the 1999 World Cup
, participation rates for rugby union had jumped up by 20% in the Madrid
area by 2001. In addition, funding from the Spanish sports council has also been on the rise. There are currently over 17,000 registered rugby union players in Spain, with more than 200 clubs across the country.
There are pockets where the sport is particularly popular, such as Valladolid
, a city located in north-central Spain, Sant Boi de Llobregat
in Catalonia
and the Basque country
. The rugby club Biarritz Olympique
, who come from the French Basque Country have played Heineken Cup
matches at the 32,000-seat Estadio Anoeta
in San Sebastián
, Spain and attracted sell-out crowds.
rugby union
league is divided into divisions. The top teams play in the División de Honor. In each division, a team plays all other teams twice, once at home and once away. The Spanish league teams compete in a domestic cup competition each year, called the Copa del Rey
. The winners of the División de Honor de Rugby (Honor Division) play the winners of the Copa del Rey in the Supercopa de España de Rugby (Super Cup). The champion of the División de Honor earns a spot in the European Challenge Cup
.
In 2008 the SRF and clubs agreed to the formation of a Liga Superibérica (Super Iberian
League), which will operate on a franchise system (similar to rugby league
's Super League
or Japan
's bj league
of basketball
). The new league shall operate with 5 Spanish clubs, 4 Portuguese
, and one from Gibraltar
. It will operate on a different season from the División de Honor.
The Spain national rugby union team
represents the whole country and have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s. Their first match was in 1929 against Italy
, which Spain won 9-0. Spain has thus far made one World Cup appearance, being in 1999. They were grouped in Pool A, alongside South Africa
, Scotland
and Uruguay
. South Africa and Scotland defeated Spain by 40 points, and they also lost to Uruguay, though it was a closer contest.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
is a growing team sport. The national side
Spain national rugby union team
The Spain national rugby union team are a national sporting side of Spain, representing them at rugby union. Spain have been playing rugby since the late 1920s, playing their first international against Italy in 1929. They have qualified for one Rugby World Cup, in 1999 where they were pooled with...
has played at the 1999 Rugby World Cup
1999 Rugby World Cup
The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland...
and is considered one of the stronger European nations outside the Six Nations Championship
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
. Spanish club rugby is divided into divisions.
There are 20016 registered players in Spain, 1190 of whom are female. There are also some 220 clubs, and Spain is ranked 23rd in the world.
Governing body
The Spanish Rugby Federation (Spanish: Federación Española de Rugby), based in Madrid, is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in Spain.It was founded in 1923, and joined the International Rugby Board
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
in 1988. It is also a member of FIRA.
Early history
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
However, subsequent events such as the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, which was particularly violent in the sport's Basque and Catalan heartlands helped hinder its development. Traditionally there are three main rugby playing areas in Spain - Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
the capital, the Spanish Basque Country
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
, and the region of Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
particularly around Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
.
The earliest recorded game in Spain was in 1901, when an Englishman called Stuart Nicholson resident in Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
,
- "turned to Racing Club, when he wanted eye catching opposition for a three team tournament, also involving British and French exiles in Barcelona."
However, the game lay largely dormant until after the end of WWI, and was reintroduced from the south of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
: Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
and the French Basque Country.
1920s
In 1921, Baudilio Aleu Torres, a Catalan, who had been studying veterinary medicineVeterinary medicine
Veterinary Medicine is the branch of science that deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, disorder and injury in non-human animals...
in Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
, returned to his native Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, and founded the Santboiana Club there. Santboiana's pitch was cleared by the players themselves, and according to Huw Richards, "a tree was tolerated and used as a coat hanger, until it was uprooted after a few games.
The first game in Madrid was in the 1920s as well, when Biarritz
Biarritz Olympique
Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque is a French professional rugby union team based in the Basque city of Biarritz, Aquitaine which competes in the Top 14 and the Heineken Cup...
and Tarbes
Tarbes Pyrénées Rugby
Tarbes Pyrénées Rugby is a French rugby union team that currently takes part in Pro D2, the second level of the country's professional league system....
played an exhibition match in front of 12,000 spectators.
The score upset some of the fans, who protested by throwing cushion
Cushion
A cushion is a soft bag of some ornamental material, stuffed with wool, hair, feathers, polyester staple fiber, non-woven material, or even paper torn into fragments. It may be used for sitting or kneeling upon, or to soften the hardness or angularity of a chair or couch...
s onto the pitch.
A Spanish XV played France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
, including Yves du Manoir
Yves du Manoir
Yves Frantz Loys Marie Le Pelley du Manoir, known as Yves du Manoir was a French rugby player....
, in 1927, but it was organised by a rebel governing body, and so is not usually recognised as a proper international.
Spain's first recognised international was in 1929 against Italy
Italy national rugby union team
The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
, in Barcelona, in Montjuïc Stadium
Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys
Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys is a stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Originally built in 1927 for the 1929 International Exposition in the city , it was renovated in 1989 to be the main stadium for the 1992 Summer Olympics...
, as part of the 1929 Expo. The Spanish Royal Family
Spanish Royal Family
The Royal Family of the Kingdom of Spain consists of the current king, Juan Carlos, his spouse, Queen Sofia of Spain and their direct descendants. The Spanish royal family belongs to the House of Borbón...
attended and all of the players were Catalan. Spain won 9-0.
Post-war period
Spain's international record includes several upsets. For example, in 1977, they beat Italy, and in 1992, they beat RomaniaRomania national rugby union team
The Romania national rugby union team , nicknamed The Oaks , is the representative side of Romania in rugby union. Long considered one of the stronger European teams outside the Six Nations, they have participated in all six Rugby World Cups, and currently compete in the first division of the...
.
With the thawing of relations between the UK and Spain over the Gibraltar question
Disputed status of Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory, near the southernmost tip of the Iberian peninsula, which is the subject of a disputed irredentist claim by Spain....
, rugby union in Gibraltar
Rugby union in Gibraltar
Rugby union is a popular sport since its introduction by British military personnel in the 19th Century.-Governing body:The has existed since the 1980s when the border with Spain was opened....
has become more closely linked with its Spanish neighbours. Between 1968 and 1985, the land border between Spain and Gibraltar was closed. When it reopened, a number of games were played against sides from Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
and Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
. Campo Gibraltar RFC now play in the Andalucian second division.
On the 2nd May, 1989, the Spanish women's team
Spain women's national rugby union team
The Spain women's national rugby union team are a national sporting side of Spain, representing them at rugby union.They played their first match on 2 May 1989, against France, losing 0-28...
played their first match, against France
France women's national rugby union team
The France women's national rugby union team are a national sporting side of France, representing them at rugby union. The side first played in 1982.-History:...
, losing 0-28. In 2000, they joined the Women's Six Nations
Women's Six Nations Championship
The Women's Six Nations Championship is an international rugby union competition contested between six European women's national teams. The competition began as a "Home International Championship" for the four home nations in 1996....
, but in 2007, the tournament was altered so that Italy replaced Spain, in order to mirror the men's tournament
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
.
Present day
Romania national rugby union team
The Romania national rugby union team , nicknamed The Oaks , is the representative side of Romania in rugby union. Long considered one of the stronger European teams outside the Six Nations, they have participated in all six Rugby World Cups, and currently compete in the first division of the...
and Georgia
Georgia national rugby union team
The Georgia national rugby union team represents Georgia in rugby union. The team's nickname, The Lelos, comes from lelo burti, a traditional Georgian sport with strong similarities to rugby. Lelo has been adopted as the Georgian word for "try"...
. In more recent times, a fourth region has opened up along the beach resorts on the Mediterranean coast, the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
and Balearics, thanks to the influx of expatriates. In these areas, however these rarely take in the locals. The exception is the Marbella Rugby club on the Costa Del Sol, whose members are an equal mix of expatriates from the UK, South America and locals. The success of this policy is displayed by the progress of their junior teams, recently reaching the final of the national club championships in 2010, thus giving them the title of second best side in the country in 2010 and then winning the club championship in May 2011 to become the best U16 club side in Spain. The Marbella players also constitute the majority of the regional Andalucian team which participate at national level A number of juniors from this region have been selected for regional as well as national teams. Also club rugby Torrevieja on the Costa Blanca have a similar make up of players Beach rugby
Beach Rugby
Beach rugby is a sport that can be based on either of the rugby football codes, league or union. There is no centralized regulation of the sport as in beach soccer or beach volleyball, but leagues are common across Europe, and the sport is particularly popular in Italy...
has become popular in many areas, as has rugby sevens
Rugby sevens
Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
. There are various rugby sevens tournaments in the country, including the Benidorm Sevens.
In recent years, Estadio Anoeta
Estadio Anoeta
Anoeta is a multi-purpose stadium in Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Real Sociedad. In recent years, it has also been used for occasional Heineken Cup rugby union fixtures by nearby French club Biarritz Olympique...
in the Basque Country has also been used for occasional Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
rugby union fixtures by nearby French-Basque club Biarritz Olympique
Biarritz Olympique
Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque is a French professional rugby union team based in the Basque city of Biarritz, Aquitaine which competes in the Top 14 and the Heineken Cup...
. In the 2009–10 Top 14 season
2009–10 Top 14 season
Stade de France was listed as an alternate home for Stade Français because the club hosted five of their 13 home matches this season at the national stadium. Similarly, Stadium Municipal was listed as an alternate home for Toulouse, who normally play two Top 14 matches a year at that facility...
, both Biarritz and fellow Basque
Northern Basque Country
The French Basque Country or Northern Basque Country situated within the western part of the French department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques constitutes the north-eastern part of the Basque Country....
club Bayonne
Aviron Bayonnais
Aviron Bayonnais is a French rugby union club from Bayonne in Pyrénées-Atlantiques that currently competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14 competition...
will take one home match to the Anoeta. On 21 August, Bayonne will host Stade Français at the Anoeta, followed on 12 September by the Northern Basque derby between Biarritz and Bayonne, with BO as the home team. The stadium, which holds 32,076, was inaugurated in 1993.
Spain continues to be popular with touring sides, from the Britain, Ireland and France, due to its climate and good transport links.
Vocabulary
Rugby is fairly popular in the Southern ConeSouthern Cone
Southern Cone is a geographic region composed of the southernmost areas of South America, south of the Tropic of Capricorn. Although geographically this includes part of Southern and Southeast of Brazil, in terms of political geography the Southern cone has traditionally comprised Argentina,...
of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, with the Spanish speaking nations of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
having qualified for
the Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
. However there is a substantial difference between their Spanish terms, and those of their European Spanish speaking counterparts.
In South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, a combination of Spanish and English position names is used, because rugby was introduced there directly from England, after these countries became independent of Spain. French and Italian are included for comparison. French rugby vocabulary has been a strong influence on that of Spain, but not much on Latin American Spanish. Note that Ala is a flanker in South America, and a wing in Spain.
| English | French | Italian | Spanish (Spain) | Spanish (South America) |
| Prop | Pilier | Pilone | Pilar, Pilier | Pilar |
| Hooker | Talonneur | Tallonatore | Talonador | Hooker |
| Flanker | Troisième Ligne Aile | Terza (linea) ala Flanker | Tercera Línea, Flanker | Ala, Tercera Línea |
| Lock | Deuxième Ligne | Seconda Linea | Segunda Línea | Segunda Línea |
| Number eight | Troisième Ligne Centre | Terza linea media Terza (linea) centro Numero 8 | Tercera Línea Centro u "Ocho" | Octavo, Ocho, Tercera Línea |
| Scrum half | Demi de mêlée | Mediano di mischia | Medio melé | Medio Scrum |
| Fly-half | Demi d'ouverture, Ouvreur | Apertura Mediano d'apertura | Apertura, Medio de Apertura | Apertura, Medio Apertura |
| Centre | Centre | Centro (Primo e Secondo) Tre quarti centro | Centro (Primero y Segundo) | In-side (Primero y Segundo), Centro |
| Wing (Left and Right) | Ailier | Ala Tre quarti ala | Ala (Izquierda y Derecha) | Wing (Izquierdo y Derecho) |
| Full-back | Arrière | Estremo | Zaguero | Fullback |
Notable players
Javier Bardem
Javier Ángel Encinas Bardem is a Spanish actor. In 2007 he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as sociopathic assassin Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men, and has also garnered critical acclaim for roles in films such as Jamón, jamón, Carne trémula, Boca a boca, Los...
, played for the underage national team. Bardem was originally a flanker, but became a prop, and has been quotes as saying, ""being a rugby player in Spain is akin to be a bull-fighter in Japan." He is better known for his acting career which includes the likes of No Country for Old Men
No Country for Old Men (film)
No Country for Old Men is a 2007 American crime thriller directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, and starring Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, and Josh Brolin. The film was adapted from the Cormac McCarthy novel of the same name...
, for which he won an Oscar, and Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a 2008 romance comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen, and starring Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz, Scarlett Johansson and Rebecca Hall...
, as well as a number of highly successful Spanish language films such as The Sea Inside (Mar adentro).
Other notable Spanish players include -
- Alberto Malo, played for Taranaki in New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and one of the first Spanish players to make it big on the world stage. - Gabriel Rivero
- Jon Azkargorta
- Jaime Gutierrez
- Jon Etxeberria
- Javier Morote
- Raphaël BastideRaphaël BastideRafael Bastide Gutierrez also known as Raphaël Bastide is a Spanish rugby union winger who has played professionally for Perpignan, Colomiers and, since 2004 for Auch. He played for Spain at the 1999 Rugby World Cup against Uruguay.-Notes:...
, yet another Basque, who has played professionally for PerpignanUSA PerpignanUnion Sportive des Arlequins Perpignanais or Unió eSportiva Arlequins de Perpinyà , generally abbreviated as USAP in both languages, is a French rugby union club that plays in the city of Perpignan in Pyrénées-Orientales. The club currently competes in the Top 14, the top level of the French...
, ColomiersUS ColomiersUS Colomiers is a French rugby union club currently competing in Fédérale 1, the third level of the French rugby pyramid. They had been relegated from Pro D2 after finishing last in the 2006-07 season, but earned promotion from Fédérale 1 at the first opportunity in 2007-08, and survived a...
and, since 2004 for AuchFC Auch GersFootball Club Auch Gers is a French rugby union club based in Auch in Midi-Pyrénées currently playing in Rugby Pro D2, the second tier of the country's professional league system. In recent years, they have bounced between the first-level Top 14 and Pro D2...
. - Alfonso FeijooAlfonso FeijooAlfonso Feijoo is a former Spanish rugby union footballer and a current coach. He's also a Physical Education teacher in San Sebastián....
, had 22 caps for Spain, during his career. - David MotaDavid MotaDavid Mota is a Spanish rugby union player for CRC Madrid. Formerly he was a player of rugby league for the Crusaders who now play in the Super League and for the CR Liceo Francés.His position of choice is at centre/wing....
, CRC MadridCRC Madrid NoroesteCanoe Rugby Club Madrid Noroeste is a Spanish rugby union club. The club currently competes in the División de Honor de Rugby competition, the highest level of Spanish club rugby. The club are based in Madrid in Spain, playing their matches at Valle de las Cañas. C.R.C. Madrid Noroeste play in...
, formerly a player of rugby leagueRugby leagueRugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
for the Crusaders - Francisco Puertas SotoFrancisco Puertas SotoFrancisco Puertas Soto is a Spanish rugby union footballer. He played at fullback or flyhalf. He was capped 93 times by Spain, from 1994 to 2001. He played for his country at the 1999 Rugby World Cup finals.-Notes:...
, capped 93 times by Spain, from 1994 to 2001. - Oriol RipolOriol RipolOriol Ripol is a Spanish rugby union player. He plays as a wing for Worcester Warriors in the Championship. Ripol has also played for Spain and is regarded as their best player of modern times...
, a Catalan wing for Sale SharksSale SharksSale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the...
in the Guinness PremiershipGuinness PremiershipThe English Premiership, also currently known as the Aviva Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Aviva, is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are twelve clubs in the Premiership...
, formerly with NorthamptonNorthampton SaintsNorthampton Saints are a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. The Northampton Saints were formed in 1880. They play in green, black and gold colours. They play their home games at Franklin's Gardens, which has a capacity of 13,591....
. - Diego ZarzosaDiego ZarzosaDiego Zarzosa Peña is a Spanish rugby union hooker who plays for CR El Salvador in the División de Honor.Zarzosa represented Spain during the 1999 Rugby World Cup....
, CR El SalvadorCR El SalvadorClub de Rugby El Salvador is a Spanish rugby union club. The club was established in 1960 and currently competes in the División de Honor de Rugby competition, the highest level of Spanish club rugby. The club are based in Valladolid in central Spain, playing their matches at the Estadio Pepe Rojo....
and HarlequinsHarlequin F.C.The Harlequin Football Club is an English rugby union team who play in the top level of English rugby, the Aviva Premiership. Their ground in London is Twickenham Stoop...
, second Spanish player in the BarbariansBarbarian F.C.The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
Popularity
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
is the most popular sport in Spain, and as such, rugby union gets minimal media coverage. After the national team qualified for their first ever World Cup, the 1999 World Cup
1999 Rugby World Cup
The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland...
, participation rates for rugby union had jumped up by 20% in the Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
area by 2001. In addition, funding from the Spanish sports council has also been on the rise. There are currently over 17,000 registered rugby union players in Spain, with more than 200 clubs across the country.
There are pockets where the sport is particularly popular, such as Valladolid
Valladolid
Valladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales...
, a city located in north-central Spain, Sant Boi de Llobregat
Sant Boi de Llobregat
Sant Boi de Llobregat is a town of 80,000 inhabitants in the Barcelona province in Catalonia, located aside the Llobregat river.The town distributes its territory into six districts: Ciutat Cooperativa-Molí Nou, Marianao-Can Paulet, Barri Centre, Vinyets-Molí Vell, Camps Blancs-Canons-Orioles and...
in Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
and the Basque country
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
. The rugby club Biarritz Olympique
Biarritz Olympique
Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque is a French professional rugby union team based in the Basque city of Biarritz, Aquitaine which competes in the Top 14 and the Heineken Cup...
, who come from the French Basque Country have played Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
matches at the 32,000-seat Estadio Anoeta
Estadio Anoeta
Anoeta is a multi-purpose stadium in Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Real Sociedad. In recent years, it has also been used for occasional Heineken Cup rugby union fixtures by nearby French club Biarritz Olympique...
in San Sebastián
San Sebastián
Donostia-San Sebastián is a city and municipality located in the north of Spain, in the coast of the Bay of Biscay and 20 km away from the French border. The city is the capital of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The municipality’s population is 186,122 , and its...
, Spain and attracted sell-out crowds.
Competitions
The SpanishSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
league is divided into divisions. The top teams play in the División de Honor. In each division, a team plays all other teams twice, once at home and once away. The Spanish league teams compete in a domestic cup competition each year, called the Copa del Rey
Copa del Rey de Rugby
The Copa del Rey de Rugby is the national rugby cup. The competition was founded in 1926 and, currently is the second most important competition after the División de Honor de Rugby.- Last seasons:...
. The winners of the División de Honor de Rugby (Honor Division) play the winners of the Copa del Rey in the Supercopa de España de Rugby (Super Cup). The champion of the División de Honor earns a spot in the European Challenge Cup
European Challenge Cup
The European Challenge Cup, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Amlin Challenge Cup, is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup. The cup was known as the Parker Pen Shield from 2001 to 2003 and Parker Pen Challenge Cup from 2003 to 2005. The European...
.
In 2008 the SRF and clubs agreed to the formation of a Liga Superibérica (Super Iberian
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
League), which will operate on a franchise system (similar to rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
's Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
or Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
's bj league
Bj league
The bj league is a professional basketball league in Japan that began on November 5, 2005. The ten team league is divided into two conferences, the Eastern Conference, and the Western Conference. It had its inaugural All-Star game in 2006. One of its major sponsors is Spalding.The bj league...
of basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
). The new league shall operate with 5 Spanish clubs, 4 Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, and one from Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
. It will operate on a different season from the División de Honor.
Current hierarchical divisional breakdowns
- Superibérica de RugbySuperibérica de RugbyThe Superibérica de Rugby is the highest tier of national rugby union competition in Spain. The first Superliga season was in 2009 with six Spanish teams, with the hope of expanding to include Portuguese teams and a team from Gibraltar in the future....
(6 teams) - División de HonorDivisión de Honor de Rugby-Past winners:-External links:*...
(10 teams) - División de Honor BDivisión de Honor B de RugbyThe Spanish rugby league has been contested since 1953. The second division is currently known as the Division de Honor B and has two groups of 8 clubs.-Teams 2010–11 season:--------External links:*...
(2 groups of 8 teams each) - Primera Nacional (4 groups of 8 teams each)
- Regional Leagues
National team
Spain national rugby union team
The Spain national rugby union team are a national sporting side of Spain, representing them at rugby union. Spain have been playing rugby since the late 1920s, playing their first international against Italy in 1929. They have qualified for one Rugby World Cup, in 1999 where they were pooled with...
represents the whole country and have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s. Their first match was in 1929 against Italy
Italy national rugby union team
The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
, which Spain won 9-0. Spain has thus far made one World Cup appearance, being in 1999. They were grouped in Pool A, alongside South Africa
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
, Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
and Uruguay
Uruguay national rugby union team
The Uruguay national rugby union team is the representative side of Uruguay, governed by the Unión de Rugby del Uruguay. They have been playing international rugby since 1948. Their jersey is blue and black and they are known as Los Teros. They qualified twice for the Rugby World Cup, in 1999 and...
. South Africa and Scotland defeated Spain by 40 points, and they also lost to Uruguay, though it was a closer contest.