División de Honor de Rugby
Current season, competition or edition: 2020–21 División de Honor de Rugby | |
 | |
| Formerly | Liga Renfe División de Honor Liga Heineken |
|---|---|
| Sport | Rugby union |
| Founded | 1953 |
| First season | 1953 |
| Owner(s) | Federación Española de Rugby |
| No. of teams | 12 |
| Country | Spain |
| Most recent champion(s) | VRAC Quesos Entrepinares (10th title) |
| Most titles | VRAC Quesos Entrepinares (10 titles) |
| TV partner(s) | TVE FERUGBYTV on YouTube (Live Streams) |
| Relegation to | División de Honor B |
| International cup(s) | European Rugby Challenge Cup European Rugby Continental Shield |
| Related competitions | Copa del Rey de Rugby Supercopa de España de Rugby |
| Official website | ferugby.es |
The División de Honor de Rugby is Spain's top level professional men's rugby union competition. The División de Honor de Rugby Championships are organised by the Federación Española de Rugby (Spanish Rugby Federation) and currently consists of 12 teams. The last placed team in the competition is relegated at the end of the season to the División de Honor B (Spain`s second level of men's rugby union) with one team from the second tier competition promoting to the División de Honor leaving the next worst and next best team respectively in both competitions to play in a promotion/relegation play-off.
Format
The División de Honor season takes place between September and March, with every team playing each other home and away for a total of 22 matches. Points are awarded according to the following:
- 4 points for a win
- 2 points for a draw
- 1 bonus point is awarded to a team scoring 4 tries or more in a match
- 1 bonus point is awarded to a team that loses a match by 7 points or fewer
The six teams with the highest number of points at the end of 22 rounds of matches play the championship playoffs. The top two teams win a semi-final berth automatically, while the next four teams participate in semi-final play-off to take the remaining two spots.
Promotion and relegation
The bottom team in the standings is relegated to the División de Honor B, while the team finishing 11th plays in the promotion/relegation playoff against a team from the second tier of rugby union in Spain. The top team from the División de Honor B is promoted to the División de Honor.
Current Teams
Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality
| Team | Manager | Captain | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcobendas | José Ignacio Inchausti | Brad Linklater | Campo de Rugby Las Terrazas | 500 |
| Aparejadores | Juan González | Juan Pablo Guido | Estadio San Amaro | 1,500 |
| Ciencias Sevilla | Manuel Mazo | Manuel Sobrino | Instalaciones Deportivas La Cartuja | 1,932 |
| Complutense Cisneros | Valentin Telleriarte | Guillermo Espinós | Estadio Nacional Complutense | 12,400 |
| El Salvador | Juan Carlos Pérez | Jake Wainwright | Estadio Pepe Rojo | 5,000 |
| FC Barcelona | Sergio Guerrero | Rochedi Mirabet | Estadio La Teixonera | 500 |
| Getxo Artea | Juan Carlos Bado | Íñigo Lugarezaresti | Campos Deportivos de Fadura | 2,000 |
| Independiente RC | Tristán Moziman | Mariano García | Estadio San Román | 1,500 |
| Les Abelles | Alberto Socías | Germán Ahuir | Polideportivo Quatre Carreres | 500 |
| Ordizia | Iñigo Marotias | Fernando Lopez | Estadio Municipal de Altamira | 500 |
| Santboiana | Ricardo Martinera | Marcos Puig | Estadi Baldiri Aleu | 4,000 |
| Valladolid RAC | Diego Merino | Ilaitia Gavidi | Estadio Pepe Rojo | 5,000 |
Past winners
Titles by team
| Team | Titles | Year | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valladolid | 10 | 1999, 2001, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 | 
|
| Arquitectura | 9 | 1974, 1975, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1995 | 
|
| El Salvador | 8 | 1991, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2016 |
|
| Santboiana | 7 | 1984, 1987, 1989, 1996, 1997, 2005, 2006 | 
|
| Canoe/CRC Madrid | 5 | 1971, 1972, 1973, 2000, 2009 |
|
| Atlético San Sebastián | 3 | 1970, 1978, 1979* | 
|
| Ciencias Sevilla | 2 | 1992, 1994 | 
|
| Cisneros | 2 | 1976, 1985 |
|
| CAU Madrid | 2 | 1979*, 1980 |
|
| FC Barcelona | 2 | 1953, 1954 |
|
| La Vila | 1 | 2011 | 
|
| Moraleja Alcobendas | 1 | 2002 |
|
| Getxo Artea | 1 | 1993 |
|
| Valencia | 1 | 1983 |
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| Amigos del Rugby | 1 | 1979* |
|
| Cornellà | 1 | 1979* |
|
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*1978–79 season; 4 groups competition format, thus 4 champions. | |||
See also
- División de Honor B de Rugby
- Copa del Rey de Rugby
- Supercopa de España de Rugby
- Copa Ibérica de Rugby/Taça Iberica de Rugby
- División de Honor Femenina de Rugby
- Rugby union in Spain