Rugby league in Spain
Rugby league is a team sport that has begun to be played in the autonomous community of Catalonia in Spain, Catalonia and the Valencian Community. Rugby league has long been played in French North Catalonia and since the admission of Catalans Dragons to the European Super League efforts have been made to spread the game to Spanish Catalonia with some Dragons games being played in Barcelona. This has led to the formation of a Catalan league which includes an FC Barcelona team. On June 20, 2009, the first Super League game was played at Barcelona in front of a crowd of over 18,500, Catalans Dragons lost 12 - 24 to the Warrington Wolves. Moving outside of Catalonia the first game in the province of Castellon took place in November 2013 with five rugby league clubs operating across the Valencian Community. A representative team, Origin Espagnol, made up of players of Spanish Origin have taken part in rugby league nines competitions.
History
The French part of Catalonia has been playing rugby league since the 1930s. French side Catalans Dragons joined the European Super League in Super League in 2006. On July 29, 2007, the Dragons became the first French side and first non-English side to reach the final of the Challenge Cup. They were presented to the crowd at FC Barcelona's Nou Camp stadium. The success of the Dragons led to rugby league clubs being started in Southern Catalonia in the autumn of 2007 and a governing body in 2008. The Catalan representative side made their debut in January 2008, when they participated in the French Interleague Championship held near Perpignan, in France. In April of the same year, the first domestic competition took place in southern Catalonia, the Copa Catalunya de Rugby Lliga, with FC Barcelona emerging victorious from the three-way contest. Warrington Wolves played Catalans Dragons in Barcelona in 2009, with a game between Catalonia and the Czech Republic taking place before the main game.
Governing body
L'Associació Catalana de Rugby Lliga, formed in 2008, is the governing body for rugby league in South Catalonia. Catalonia is an unranked member of the Rugby League European Federation with Official observer status.
Domestic competitions
In April 2008, the first domestic competition took place in southern Catalonia, the Copa Catalunya de Rugby Lliga, with FC Barcelona emerging victorious from the three-way contest. The results from the competition were:
- FC Barcelona 22-20 Aligots Girona
- Aligots Girona 24-0 Nord-Català
- Nord-Català 4-24 FC Barcelona
In 2009 this was expanded to a nine team club championship and a seven team university tournament.
The 2009 competition compromised:
- Club Rugby Tarragona
- Club Rugby Sant Cugat
- Garrotxa Rugbi Club
- CNPN Enginyers
- CE INEF Lleida Rugby
- CA Vic - Crancs
- CR Valls
- GEIEG
- BUC (Barcelona Universitari Club)
National team
The Catalonia national rugby league team represents Catalonia in the sport of rugby league. Players are drawn from both North and South Catalonia. They have played international rugby league but do not take part in some international competitions, such as the Rugby League World Cup as Catalonia is not a sovereign nation. They played Belgium, Morocco and the Czech Republic in 2009 with the Belgium and Morocco games being part of the Euro Med tournament.
The Spain national rugby league represent Spain in rugby league, but isn't as famous as Catalonia.