Spain national rugby union team

Spain

Union	Spanish Rugby Federation
Nickname(s)	El XV del Leon
Emblem(s)	the Lion
Coach(es)	Régis Sonnes
Captain(s)	Martín Aceña
Most caps	Francisco Puertas Soto (93)
Team kit Change kit
First international
Italy 0 - 9 Spain (May 20, 1929)
Largest win
Czech Republic 8 - 90 Spain (April 2, 1995)
Largest defeat
Australia 92 - 10 Spain (September 1, 2001)
World Cup
Appearances	1 (First in 1999)
Best result	No games won

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 Scotland, South Africa and Uruguay. Spain have also in the past contested the European Nations Cup. Spain plays in red and blue colours.

History

Spain playing the Czech Republic

A Spanish XV played France, including Yves du Manoir, in 1927, but it was organised by a rebel governing body.

Spain played their first officially recognised match in 1929, winning 9-0 over Italy in the Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc.

Throughout the 1930s the Spanish contested games against other European sides, winning the majority of them, losing only to Germany. The national Spanish rugby team did not participate in any rugby during the 1940s.

The Spanish returned in 1951, and throughout the decade found moderate success. Though the side lost regularly to sides such as West Germany. The side found success in the earlier years of the 1960s, though there was a lack of games played during the 1963-5. The latter half of the decade saw the Spanish win most of their fixtures against neighbouring European sides.

Spain competed regularly against sides such as Portugal, Romania, Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Morocco and Czechoslovakia.

During the early 1980s Spain played Argentina for the first time, as well as consistently playing their old European rivals, New Zealand Māori also played the Spanish in 1982, Spain did however lose the match by over 60 points, and again in 1988, at Seville, losing by a minor margin, 12-22. Spain played the Soviet Union as well as other new opponents during the decade, including Zimbabwe, whom the Spanish played several times during the mid 1980s.

In 1994 the Spanish played rugby heavy-weights, Wales, who won by over 50 points. During the mid to late 1990s, Spain completed a nine game winning streak, winning games against nine different European sides.

Spain began their quest for 1999 World Cup qualification in Pool 3 of Round B of the European qualification. They won all four of their games in the round, finishing first in the group above Portugal. They, along with Portugal advanced to the next pool round with Scotland. They finished second and qualified for their first Rugby World Cup.

For the 1999 Rugby World Cup, Spain were in Pool A, along with Scotland, South Africa and Uruguay. Their first ever World Cup game was played against Uruguay, with Spain losing 27-15. They lost their subsequent pool games to Scotland and the Springboks by 40 points, both of which were played at Murrayfield. They failed to score a try in the tournament, the only team in the World to have qualified but not scored a try in the World cup.

Spain began 2003 Rugby World Cup qualifying games in May 2002. Spain advanced to Round 3 after defeating Portugal. However, here they lost to both Italy and Romania, and moved through to face Russia for a place in the repechage competition. They defeated Tunisia and moved onto face the USA, who won the round and qualified into the World Cup.

Spain finished at the top of Pool A or Round 2 of the European qualification for the 2007 Rugby World Cup, and advanced to Round 3 where they went into Pool A. Here they won all four fixtures to finish at the top and advance to the play-off. There they faced Germany, and although they lost the first game, they won the second and went through on a 42-28 aggregate and went into Round 4 where they defeated the Czech Republic to enter Round 5. However they lost out to Romania and Georgia in Pool B ending their hopes of reaching the World Cup finals in France.

Spain missed the qualification for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

Record

Spain play Portugal

ENC

Year(s)	GP	W	D	L	+/-	Pts	Pos
2000	4	2	0	2	94-86	8	3rd
2001	5	2	0	3	118-128	9	4th
2001-02	10	3	0	7	246-247	16	4th
2003-04	10	0	1	9	129-335	11	6th
2007-08	10	4	0	6	233-240	18	4th

World Cup

Year(s)	Result
1987	No qualifying tournament held.
1991	Did not qualify.
1995	Did not qualify.
1999	Qualified.
2003	Did not qualify.
2007	Did not qualify.
2011	Did not qualify

2008-2010 ENC

Match Results
Date	Home	Score	Away	Venue
8-Nov-2008	Russia	42 - 15	Spain	Moscow
15-Nov-2008	Spain	22 - 11	Germany	Madrid
7-Feb-2009	Spain	10 - 19	Romania	Madrid
28-Feb-2009	Spain	11 - 55	Georgia	Madrid
15-March-2009	Portugal	24 - 19	Spain	Lisbon
13-Feb-2010	Spain	20 - 38	Russia	Madrid
27-Feb-2010	Georgia	17 - 9	Spain	Tbilisi
27-Feb-2010	Spain	15 - 33	Portugal	Madrid
20-Mar-2010	Germany	17 - 21	Spain	Heidelberg
27-Mar-2010	Romania	48 - 3	Spain	Bucharest

Current squad

Spain squad for the entire 2010–2012 European Nations Cup First Division:

Backs Player Position Club Adrien Ayestarán Scrum-half Biarritz Pablo Feijóo Scrum-half El Salvador Santiago Fernández Scrum-half Alcobendas Sébastien Rouet Scrum-half Lourdes Martín Heredia Fly-half Costa Del Sol Andoni Jorajuría Fly-half Biarritz Espoirs Eduard Sorribes Fly-half CAU Valencia Bruno Angulo Centre Aubenas Carlos Blanco Centre Universidade Vigo Juan Cano Centre Lille Métropole Javier Canosa Centre CRC Madrid Ignacio Gutierrez-Muller Centre Valladolid Ramón Narváez Centre Majadahonda Sergi Aubanell Wing Clermont Espoirs Pierre Belzunce Wing Colomiers Diego Gorosito Wing Valladolid Brice Labadie Wing Mont-de-Marsan Baptiste Sanchez Wing Narbonne Matías Tudela Wing Ordizia Mathieu Amoros Fullback Béziers Rémi Delgado Fullback Oloron Pedro Martín Fullback Ordizia

Forwards Player Position Club Beñat Auzqui Hooker Tyrosse Unai Lasa Hooker Bera Bera Fabien Rofes Hooker Montpellier Stephan Vitalla Hooker Oloron Víctor Acevedo Prop Santboiana Mattín Auzqui Prop Dax David Gurgenadze Prop Orthez Rodrigo Martínez Prop La Vila Jesús Moreno Prop Leeds Carnegie Anthony Pradalie Prop Périgueux Sylvain Antequera Lock Orthez Anibal Bonan Lock Valladolid Jesús Recuerda Lock Lille Métropole Maxime Samson Lock Tyrosse Sergio Souto Lock El Salvador Martín Aceña (c) Flanker La Vila Gauthier Gibouin Flanker Bordeaux Bègles Víctor Gómez Flanker CRC Madrid Juan González Flanker CRC Madrid Mathieu Roca Flanker Stade Aurillac Matthew Cook Number eight La Vila Federico Negrillo Number eight Gernika Julien Tourtoulou Number eight Colomiers

Notable players

• Francisco Puertas Soto
• Oriol Ripol
• Diego Zarzosa

See also

• Rugby union in Spain

External links

• (Spanish) Federación Española de Rugby - Official Site
• Spain at RugbyData.com