Spain women's national rugby union team

Spain
Union Spanish Rugby Federation
Nickname(s) Las Leonas
Coach(es) Inés Etxegibel
Captain(s) Ana María Aigneren
Team kit
Change kit
First international
 Spain 0-28 France 
(2 May 1989)
Largest win
 Spain 119 - 0 Finland 
(30 April 2011)
Largest defeat
 Canada 79-0 Spain 
(4 September 2006)
World Cup
Appearances 5 (First in 1991)
Best result Fourth 1991

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. For a while they were the sixth team in the Women's Six Nations, but this was subsequently altered so that Italy replaced them, in order to mirror the men's tournament.

History

Currently there are over 200 clubs in Spain and a league similar to that of male rugby. The first steps were taken in 1913, when women played in secret in schools, but rugby first began to be played seriously at training camps at the School of Architecture of Madrid in the early 70s by a group of architecture students. They formed a group of about 20 girls who trained regularly twice per week and as they were the only ones who practiced, played sided games between themselves.

In the late seventies a group of female PE students taught by Jose Antonio Sancha, a professor of Rugby at Barcelona INEF, decided to train with the men's rugby and played the game seriously (though they were not recognised by the Catalan Federation rugby until 1983).

The first game was played in Barcelona between the BUC and INEF clubs and other clubs quickly formed in different parts of Spain but mainly in the early years only came from Barcelona and Madrid. In a few years female rugby spread to Madrid, the Basque Country and Valencia. In 1991 27 women's teams participating in regional competitions.

The national team first played in Cardiff (Wales) at the Rugby World Cup, where they won the fifth place behind the United States, England, France and New Zealand. In 1994, the Spanish team was unable to come to Scotland because of budgetary problems, however Spain remained one of the top teams in Europe. In 1995 Spain became the unexpected champions of the first European Championship by defeating rival France, in the final 21-6. The 1996 European brought a repeat of that final but this time the Spanish lost by 15-10.

In January 1997 a tour of England took place where Spain and were in the lead against the World Champions until 10 minutes from the end of the match. Only a last minute try by England gave them the win and in European (the first where all the British teams competed) played the final but Spain came 3rd. Spain qualified for the World Championships in Amsterdam and managed a creditable 7th place. Spain again reached the European final in 1999 against France, losing 13-5, after beating Wales (14-8) and Scotland (11-9).

The 2002 World Cup was held in Barcelona, New Zealand retaining its title in defeating (19-9) to England in the final at the Olympic Stadium Lluis Companys. France took the bronze after beating Canada (41-7), while Spain finished in 8th place after yielding to the United States (23-5).

Spain were also members of the Five and Six Nations from 2000 to 2006, finishing third on three occasions and winning 10 of the 33 games they played. However in 2007 they were replaced by Italy because the Six Nations Committee wished to align the women's tournament with the men's. This has severely reduced Spain's opportunities to play top level international rugby, and may have been a factor in Spain's failure to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. However, they were compensated a little in 2010 when they won the "double " of the European 15s and 7s titles without losing a game.

Results

Summary

(Full internationals only)

 Rugby: Spain internationals 1989-
Opponent First game Played Won Drawn Lost Percentage
 Australia 1998 1 0 0 1 0.00%
 Belgium 2010 1 1 0 0 100.00%
 Canada 1991 2 0 0 2 0.00%
 England 1991 14 1 1 12 7.14%
 Finland 2011 1 1 0 0 100.00%
 France 1989 19 5 0 14 26.32%
 Germany 1996 2 2 0 0 100.00%
 Ireland 1997 9 5 0 4 55.56%
 Italy 1991 11 9 0 2 81.82%
 Japan 1991 2 2 0 0 100.00%
 Kazakhstan 2006 1 1 0 0 100.00%
 Netherlands 1996 5 5 0 0 100.00%
 New Zealand 1998 1 0 0 1 0.00%
 Russia 1997 2 2 0 0 100.00%
 Samoa 2006 2 2 0 0 100.00%
 Scotland 1997 16 5 0 11 31.25%
 Sweden 2004 5 4 0 1 80.00%
 United States 1998 2 0 0 2 0.00%
 Wales 1998 9 6 1 2 66.67%
Summary 1989 105 51 2 52 48.57%

Squad

Spain's 26-woman Elite Player Squad for 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup:

Forwards
Player Position Height/Weight Age Caps Club
Catalonia Aroa González Hooker 1.60 m / 67 kg 35 57 INEF Barcelona
Galicia (Spain) Elsa Porto Hooker 1.63 m / 67 kg 26 1 CRAT A Coruña
Galicia (Spain) Rocío García Prop 1.81 m / 93 kg 33 54 CRAT A Coruña
Community of Madrid Elena Redondo Prop 1.75 m / 85 kg 26 6 O.Pozuelo
Castilla-La Mancha Isabel Rico Prop 1.61 m / 69 kg 26 8 O.Pozuelo
Catalonia Mª Carmen Sequedo Prop 1.64 m / 73 kg 34 30 INEF Barcelona
Castilla-La Mancha Lourdes Alameda Lock 1.75 m / 73 kg 23 2 XV Sanse Scrum
Andalusia Tania Ortega Lock 1.69 m / 63 kg 26 1 INEF Barcelona
Extremadura María Ribera Lock 1.75 m / 74 kg 28 13 XV Sanse Scrum
Castile and León María Casado Flanker 1.67 m / 63 kg 28 3 CR Majadahonda
Catalonia Ángela Del Pan Flanker 1.73 m / 68 kg 29 20 Heilderberger RC
Catalonia Diana Gassó Flanker 1.70 m / 64 kg 30 2 Gòtics RC
Galicia (Spain) Paula Medín Flanker 1.71 m / 65 kg 30 19 CRAT A Coruña
Valencian Community Ana Mª Aigneren Number 8 1.71 m / 88 kg 36 29 O.Pozuelo
Backs
Player Position Height/Weight Age Caps Club
Catalonia Anna Arnau Scrumhalf 1.62 m / 55 kg 27 5 GEiEG
Catalonia Bárbara Plà Scrumhalf 1.61 m / 62 kg 31 39 Getxo RT
Galicia (Spain) Helena Roca Flyhalf 1.70 m / 68 kg 38 40 CRAT A Coruña
Galicia (Spain) Ana Vanessa Rial Flyhalf 1.72 m / 67 kg 32 16 CRAT A Coruña
Community of Madrid Marina Bravo Centre 1.73 m / 69 kg 25 20 CR Cisneros
Catalonia África Félez Centre 1.66 m / 60 kg 22 1 GEiEG
Community of Madrid Patricia García Centre 1.63 m / 64 kg 24 15 Waikato RU
Community of Madrid Iera Echebarría Wing 1.62 m / 58 kg 21 1 O.Pozuelo
Asturias Berta García Wing 1.73 m / 72 kg 32 29 CRAT A Coruña
Catalonia Elisabeth Martínez Wing 1.67 m / 72 kg 26 11 GEiEG
Catalonia Marta Cabané Fullback 1.62 m / 59 kg 28 4 GEiEG
Community of Madrid Irene Schiavon Fullback 1.71 m / 69 kg 27 7 O.Pozuelo

Full internationals

See Women's international rugby for information about the status of international games and match numbering

[32]
1989-05-02 Spain  0-28  France Boe [1/16/1]
[50]
1991-04-06 (WC) England  12-0  Spain Swansea [8/2/1]
[58]
1991-04-10 (WC) Italy  7-13  Spain Glamorgan Wanderers [9/3/1]
[61]
1991-04-11 (WC) Japan  0-30  Spain Cardiff [3/4/1]
[66]
1991-04-12 (WC) Netherlands  0-30  Spain Cardiff [26/5/1]
[67]
1991-04-11 (WC) Canada  19-4  Spain Cardiff [8/6/1]
[64]
1992-06-13 France  14-10  Spain Bon Encontre [22/7/2]
[118]
1995-04-12 (FIRA) Italy  0-5  Spain Trévise [11/8/2]
[120]
1995-04-16 (FIRA) France  6-22  Spain Trévise [32/9/3]
[132]
1996-04-09 (FIRA) Spain  29-0  Netherlands Madrid [10/28/2]
[134]
1996-04-10 (FIRA) Spain  53-0  Germany Madrid [11/9/1]
[138]
1996-04-14 (FIRA) Spain  10-15  France Madrid [12/35/4]
[148]
1997-01-05 England  17-15  Spain Leeds [29/13/2]
[158]
1997-04-02 (FIRA) Spain  27-0  Ireland Nice, France [14/15/1]
[161]
1997-04-04 (FIRA) Scotland  11-10  Spain Nice, France [22/15/1]
[166]
1997-04-06 (FIRA) France  8-25  Spain Nice, France [42/16/5]
[179]
1997 Spain  17-12  Russia ? [17/8/1]
[192]
1998-05-02 (WC) Spain  28-18  Wales Amsterdam [18/32/1]
[200]
1998-05-05 (WC) Spain  16-38  United States Amsterdam [19/26/1]
[209]
1998-05-09 (WC) New Zealand  46-3  Spain Amsterdam [18/20/1]
[216]
1998-05-12 (WC) Australia  17-15  Spain Amsterdam [9/21/1]
[227]
1998-05-16 (WC) France  9-22  Spain Amsterdam [49/22/6]
[231]
1998-12-05 Spain  3-5  Scotland Madrid [23/34/2]
[246]
1999-04-19 (FIRA) Spain  14-8  Wales Belluno, Italy [24/41/2]
[251]
1999-04-21 (FIRA) Spain  11-9  Scotland Belluno, Italy [25/40/3]
[255]
1999-04-24 (FIRA) France  13-5  Spain Belluno, Italy [56/26/7]
[260]
2000-01-09 Spain  10-42  England Barcelona [27/55/3]
[262]
2000-02-06 (5N) England  31-7  Spain Banbury [56/28/4]
[264]
2000-02-18 (5N) Spain  13-9  Scotland Murcia [29/42/4]
[268]
2000-03-18 (5N) France  38-5  Spain Dax [60/30/8]
[271]
2000-04-01 (5N) Spain  18-10  Wales Majadahonda, Madrid [31/48/3]
[275]
2000-05-08 (FIRA) Spain  58-16  Italy Roquetas, Spain [32/27/3]
[280]
2000-05-10 (FIRA) Spain  13-10  Scotland Almeria, Spain [33/47/5]
[284]
2000-05-13 (FIRA) Spain  0-31  France Almeria, Spain [34/63/9]
[300]
2001-02-0? Spain  42-0  Ireland Madrid [35/34/2]
[302]
2001-02-18 (5N) England  28–12  Spain Worcester [67/36/5]
[304]
2001-03-03 (5N) Spain  6–0  France Madrid [37/65/10]
[307]
2001-03-18 (5N) Scotland  19-8  Spain Melrose [52/38/6]
[309]
2001-04-08 (5N) Wales  0–5  Spain Wrexham [55/39/4]
[311]
2001-05-06 (FIRA) Spain  34-3  Italy Lille UC, France [40/31/4]
[322]
2001-05-10 (FIRA) England  8-15  Spain Lille, France [72/41/6]
[329]
2001-05-12 (FIRA) Spain  3-15  Scotland Lille, France [42/55/7]
[343]
2002-02-02 (6N) France  24–0  Spain Bègles [71/43/11]
[347]
2002-02-16 (6N) Spain  14–17  Scotland Barcelona [44/59/8]
[350]
2002-03-02 (6N) Spain  20–0  Wales Madrid [45/62/5]
[358]
2002-03-25 (6N) Ireland  6–8  Spain Limerick [43/46/3]
[360]
2002-04-07 (6N) Spain  14–53  England Madrid [47/82/7]
[367]
2002-05-13 (WC) Spain  62-0  Japan Barcelona [48/12/1]
[375]
2002-05-18 (WC) Spain  5-13  England Barcelona [49/83/8]
[383]
2002-05-21 (WC) Spain  16-23  Scotland Barcelona [50/65/9]
[390]
2002-05-25 (WC) Spain  5-23  United States Barcelona [51/44/2]
[397]
2003-02-15 (6N) Wales  44–0  Spain Cardiff Arms Park [73/52/6]
[401]
2003-02-2? (6N) Spain  0–16  Ireland Madrid [53/50/4]
[403]
2003-03-09 (6N) England  69–0  Spain Harlequins RFC [88/54/9]
[406]
2003-03-22 (6N) Spain  7–27  France Girona [55/83/12]
[410]
2003-03-29 (6N) Scotland  48–7  Spain Meadowbank [72/56/10]
[412]
2003-05-01 (FIRA) Italy  5-29  Spain Malmö, Sweden [40/57/5]
[414]
2003-05-03 (FIRA) France  10-16  Spain Malmö, Sweden [86/58/13]
[429]
2004-02-15 (6N) Spain  3-71  England Pinares de Venecia, Zaragoza [59/94/10]
[433]
2004-02-21 (6N) France  24-0  Spain Perpignan [88/60/14]
[435]
2004-03-06 (6N) Spain  6-5  Scotland Lalin, Pontevedra [61/76/11]
[438]
2004-03-20 (6N) Ireland  7-8  Spain Thomond Park, Limerick [57/62/5]
[441]
2004-03-27 (6N) Wales  7-12  Spain Arms Park, Cardiff [82/63/7]
[443]
2004-05-01 (FIRA) France  24-5  Spain Castres, France [92/64/15]
[452]
2004-05-05 (FIRA) Spain  31-5  Sweden Toulouse, France [65/35/1]
[456]
2004-05-08 (FIRA) Ireland  20-12  Spain Toulouse, France [61/66/6]
[477]
2005-02-05 (6N) Spain  19-17  Ireland Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid [67/63/7]
[478]
2005-02-12 (6N) Spain  10-10  Wales O Couto, Ourense [68/89/8]
[482]
2005-02-26 (6N) Scotland  19-3  Spain Anniesland, Glasgow [85/69/12]
[485]
2005-03-12 (6N) England  76-0  Spain Imber Court, London [109/70/10]
[489]
2005-03-19 (6N) Spain  0-39  France San Boï de Llobregat, Barcelona [71/99/16]
[521]
2006-02-04 (6N) Ireland  25-10  Spain Donnybrook, Dublin [69/72/8]
[525]
2006-02-11 (6N) Spain  3-86  England Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid [73/116/12]
[529]
2006-02-25 (6N) France  38-0  Spain Saint Jean De Luz, Biarritz [104/74/17]
[530]
2006-03-10 (6N) Wales  10-0  Spain Sardis Rd, Pontypridd [98/75/9]
[535]
2006-03-18 (6N) Spain  12-16  Scotland Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid [76/95/13]
[560]
2006-08-31 (WC) Spain  0-24  Scotland St. Albert Rugby Park, St. Albert [77/96/14]
[567]
2006-09-04 (WC) Canada  79-0  Spain St. Albert Rugby Park, St. Albert [57/78/1]
[572]
2006-09-08 (WC) Spain  14-12  Samoa St. Albert Rugby Park, St. Albert [79/11/1]
[582]
2006-09-12 (WC) Spain  17-12  Kazakhstan Ellerslie Rugby Park, Edmonton [80/1/36]
[584]
2006-09-16 (WC) Samoa  5-10  Spain Ellerslie Rugby Park, Edmonton [13/81/2]
[627]
2007-04-28 (FIRA) Spain  15-6  Italy Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid, Spain [82/58/6]
[631]
2007-04-30 (FIRA) Spain  54-3  Russia Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid, Spain [83/23/2]
[635]
2007-05-02 (FIRA) Spain  22-22  England Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid, Spain [84/132/13]
[640]
2007-05-05 (FIRA) Spain  37-0  Netherlands Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid, Spain [85/80/3]
[684]
2008-05-17 (FIRA) Ireland  41-7  Spain Amsterdam [90/86/9]
[689]
2008-05-20 (FIRA) Sweden  0-20  Spain Drachten, Netherlands [48/87/2]
[701]
2008-05-24 (FIRA) Scotland  27-25  Spain Amsterdam [114/88/15]
[741]
2009-05-17 (FIRA) Germany  0-74  Spain Stockholm, Sweden [56/89/2]
[747]
2009-05-20 (FIRA) Sweden  11-6  Spain Enköping [53/90/3]
[751]
2009-05-23 (FIRA) Italy  7-12  Spain Stockholm, Sweden [77/91/6]
[807]
2010-05-08 (FIRA) Netherlands  12-26  Spain Longwy [96/92/4]
[813]
2010-05-12 (FIRA) Belgium  0-66  Spain Metz [25/93/1]
[824]
2010-05-15 (FIRA) Italy  13-31  Spain Stade de la Meinau, Strasbourg [85/94/8]
[866]
2011-01-03 Spain  28-13  Scotland Madrid [95/136/16]
[885]
2011-04-30 (FIRA) Spain  119-0  Finland University of A Coruña [96/9/1]
[886]
2011-05-04 (FIRA) Spain  18-3  Sweden University of A Coruña [97/72/4]
[941]
2012-05-13 (FIRA) England  61-0  Spain Rovereto, Italy [187/98/14]
[944]
2012-05-16 (FIRA) France  60-3  Spain Rovereto, Italy [164/99/18]
[946]
2012-05-19 (FIRA) Italy  54-3  Spain Rovereto, Italy [101/100/9]
[965]
2012-12-03 Italy  29-12  Spain Centro di Preparazione Olimpica Roma [102/101/10]
[986]
2013-04-20 (WCQ) Spain  55-0  Sweden Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid, Spain [102/75/5]
[987]
2013-04-23 (WCQ) Spain  78-0  Netherlands Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid, Spain [103/109/5]
[994]
2013-04-23 (WCQ) Spain  38-7  Italy Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid, Spain [104/110/11]
[1053]
2014-07-01 Spain  3-37  France Valladolid, Castile and León [105/185/17]
[1058]
2014-08-01 (WC) Canada  '  Spain FFR Headquarters, Marcoussis [104/106/3]
[1065]
2014-08-05 (WC) England  '  Spain FFR Headquarters, Marcoussis [216/107/15]
[1070]
2014-08-09 (WC) Spain  '  Samoa FFR Headquarters, Marcoussis [108/21/3]
[107?]
2014-08-13 (WC) Spain  ' ' Marcoussis [109/-/-]
[108?]
2014-08-17 (WC) Spain  ' ' Marcoussis [110/-/-]

Other internationals

[-]
2002-01-19 Spain  5-10  England A Cornella [-/-/-]
[-]
2003-02-01 Spain  0-34  England A Cornella [-/-/-]
[-]
2004-01-31 England A  35-5  Spain Imber Court [-/-/-]
[-]
2006-01-07 Basque Country  5-54  Spain Plaiaundi, Irun [-/-/-]
[-]
2008-02-09 Spain  5-22  England A Madrid [-/-/-]
[-]
2009-02-07 England A  29-0  Spain London Welsh [-/-/-]
[-]
2010-02-14 Spain  5-10  England A Gijón [-/-/-]
[-]
2010-05-10 (FIRA) France A  5-22  Spain Verdun [-/-/-]
[-]
2011-03-19 England A  34-7  Spain Guildford [-/-/-]
[-]
2011-05-02 (FIRA) Spain  12-11  France A University of A Coruña [-/-/-]
[-]
2011-05-07 (FIRA) Spain  3-5  England A University of A Coruña [-/-/-]
[-]
2013-01-05 Wales XV  7-0[1]  Spain National Centre of Excellence, Cardiff [-/-/-]
[-]
2013-02-23 Spain  29-19 Nomads Las Mestas, Gijón [-/-/-]
[-]
2013-01-20 Ireland XV  39-7  Spain Ashbourne [-/-/-]
[']
2014-07-05 Spain  20-36  Ireland XV Valladolid, Castile and León [-/-/-]


Other matches

[-]
1990-10-21 Catalonia  4-0  Wales Barcelona [-/-/-]
[-]
1995-05-06 Germany  3-75  Catalonia Rottweil [-/-/-]
[-]
2000-03-31 Catalonia  21-50  Italy Aubagne, France [-/-/-]
[-]
2009-04-21 Netherlands  24-10  Catalonia RC Waterland [-/-/-]
[-]
2010-03-14 Catalonia  12-17  Basque Country Lleida [-/-/-]
[-]
2010-12-05 Basque Country  15-22  Catalonia Durango, Biscay [-/-/-]
[-]
2012-02-05 Portugal  16-7  Galicia Estádio Universitário de Lisboa [-/-/-]

See also

Spain women's national rugby union team (sevens)

References

  1. ↑ http://www.wru.co.uk/eng/news/24555.php#.UOnUrG9JqSp

External links