Rugby union in Spain
Rugby union in Spain | |
---|---|
![]() Spain (in blue kit) playing Portugal in March 2009 | |
Country | Spain |
Governing body | Spanish Rugby Federation |
National team(s) | Spain |
First played | 1901 |
Registered players | 37,241 |
Clubs | 332 |
National competitions | |
List
| |
Club competitions | |
List |
Rugby union is a growing team sport in Spain. As of 2019, there were 37,241 registered rugby union players in Spain, playing for 332 clubs in various divisions. The sport's governing body in Spain, the
There are traditionally four main rugby playing regions in Spain: the capital
The
History
Rugby was first introduced into Spain before World War I.[1] However, subsequent events such as the Spanish Civil War hindered its development.[citation needed]
Early history
The earliest recorded game in Spain was in 1901, when an Englishman, Stuart Nicholson, resident in Bilbao,
- "turned to Racing Club, when he wanted eye catching opposition for a three team tournament, also involving British and French exiles in Barcelona."[2]
However, rugby lay largely dormant in the country until after the end of World War I, when rugby was reintroduced into Spain from the south of France, particularly Provence and the French Basque Country. In 1921, Baudilio Aleu Torres, a Catalan, who had been studying veterinary medicine in Toulouse, returned to his native Barcelona, and founded the Santboiana Club there.[3] 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 Spanish Rugby Federation, the governing body for rugby union in Spain, was founded in 1923.
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.[3] The score upset some of the fans, who protested by throwing cushions onto the pitch.[3]
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 game.[3]
Spain's first recognised international was in 1929, against Italy, in Barcelona, at Montjuïc Stadium, as part of the 1929 Expo.[3] The Spanish royal family attended and all of the players were Catalan.[3] Spain won 9–0.[3]
Post-war period
![]() | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2009) |
In 1960, a French priest, Father George Bernés,[4] introduced the game in Valladolid, Castile and León, leading to the creation of two of that region's clubs: Cetransa El Salvador and Valladolid RAC.
Spain's international record includes wins over Italy in 1977 and Romania in 1992 and 1994.[5][6]
With the thawing of relations between the UK and Spain over the
In 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.
Present day
In more recent times, thanks to the influx of expatriates, a fifth "region" has opened up along the beach resorts on the
In recent years,
Spain continues to be popular with touring sides from Britain, Ireland and France, due to its climate and good transport links.[9]
In playing standard, Spain occupies the second tier in Europe, along with Romania and Georgia.[1]
Popularity
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d9/Prebenjaminessanroque.jpg/250px-Prebenjaminessanroque.jpg)
There are over 51,123 registered rugby union players in Spain, with more than 221 clubs across the country. Participation rates for rugby union jumped by 20% in the Madrid area during the two years following the national team's participation in their first ever Rugby World Cup in 1999. In addition, funding from the Spanish sports council has also been on the rise. Rugby union gets low media coverage, however, compared to more popular team sports such as association football and basketball.
There are pockets where rugby is particularly popular, such as the city of
On 4 November 2014, France's professional rugby union league announced that the 2015–16 Top 14 final would be held at the Camp Nou in Barcelona on 24 June 2016.[10] The Top 14 final is traditionally held at the Stade de France in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis. However, the scheduling of the 2015 Rugby World Cup will cause the 2015–16 French season to be shifted by several weeks, in turn causing the Stade de France to be unavailable because it will be a major venue for UEFA Euro 2016.[11] Holding the event in Barcelona may potentially boost the sport's popularity in that area.
On 17 April 2016, in what is considered by many a milestone in the increasing popularity of rugby in Spain,
National team
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0a/Spain_vs_Czech_Republic_2007_rugby_%281%29.jpg/250px-Spain_vs_Czech_Republic_2007_rugby_%281%29.jpg)
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 Rugby World Cup appearance, 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.
Competitions
The Spanish 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 Challenge Cup Qualifying Competition.
Divisions
- División de Honor (12 teams)
- División de Honor B (3 groups of 12 teams each)
- 12 Regional Leagues:
Other competitions
Vocabulary
French rugby vocabulary has been a strong influence on that of Spain. There are, however, substantial differences between South American Spanish terms and those of Spain. 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 from Spain.
English | French | Italian | Spanish (Spain) | Spanish (South America) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Prop | Pilier | Pilone | Pilar, Pilier | Pilar |
Hooker | Talonneur | Tallonatore | Talonador | Hooker |
Lock (Second Row) | Deuxième Ligne | Seconda Linea | Segunda Línea | Segunda Línea |
Flanker (Wing Forward) | Troisième Ligne Aile | Terza (linea) ala Flanker |
Tercera Línea, Flanker | Tercera Línea, Ala |
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 (Stand-off) | 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
The
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/49/JavierBarden07TIFF.jpg/200px-JavierBarden07TIFF.jpg)
Other notable Spanish players include -
- Alberto Malo, played for Freyberg RC (Taranaki RFU) in New Zealand and one of the first Spanish players to make it big on the world stage.[1]
- Gabriel Rivero[1]
- Jon Azkargorta[1]
- Jaime Gutiérrez[1]
- Jon Etxeberria[1]
- Javier Morote[1]
- Colomiers and, since 2004 for Auch.
- Alfonso Feijoo, had 22 caps for Spain during his career.
- CRC Madrid, formerly a player of rugby league for the Crusaders
- Francisco Puertas Soto, capped 93 times by Spain from 1994 to 2001.
- Guinness Premiership, formerly with Northampton; first Spanish player in the Barbarians.
- Diego Zarzosa, CR El Salvador and Harlequins, second Spanish player in the Barbarians
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Bath p74
- ^ Richards, Chapter 4, Between Schism and War, p102
- ^ a b c d e f g Richards, Chapter 6, Gathering Storms, p129
- ABC. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
- ^ Richards, Chapter 11, Triumph of the Welfare State Rugby Player, p204
- ^ Richards, Chapter 13, Resisting the Inevitable, p235
- ^ Bath p67
- ^ a b "医療費を抑えるために出来ることとは". 31 January 2019.
- ^ European Rugby, retrieved 19 August 2009
- ^ "La Finale 2016 du TOP 14 au Camp Nou, à Barcelone !" (Press release) (in French). Ligue nationale de rugby. 4 November 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
- ^ "Barcelona confirmed as host of 2016 Top 14 final". ESPN Scrum. 4 November 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
- ^ "El Rugby está de moda" (Press release) (in Spanish).[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Valladolid ofrece una pista de despegue al rugby español" (Press release) (in Spanish).
- ^ "La reventa de entradas de la Copa del Rey de Rugby "hace su agosto" en internet" (Press release) (in Spanish).
- ^ "Don Felipe, Sáenz de Santamaría y Sánchez se reúnen el domingo... para jugar al rugby" (Press release) (in Spanish).
- ^ Pierce, Nev. "Interview with Javier Bardem". BBC. Retrieved 12 October 2007.
- ^ a b Famous Ruggers by Wes Clark and others, retrieved 19 August 2009
Bibliography
- Bath, Richard (ed.) The Complete Book of Rugby (Seven Oaks Ltd, 1997 ISBN 1-86200-013-1)
- Richards, Huw A Game for Hooligans: The History of Rugby Union (ISBN 978-1-84596-255-5)
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)