Jump to content

Spain national rugby sevens team

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Spain
UnionSpanish Rugby Federation
Coach(es)Francisco Hernández
Captain(s)Pol Pla
Top scorerFrancisco Hernández (449)
Most triesPol Pla (50)
Team kit
Change kit

Spain's national rugby sevens team is one of 15 core teams participating in all ten tournaments of the World Rugby Sevens Series,[1] having qualified by winning the 2017 Hong Kong Sevens qualifier tournament. Spain participated as a core team in the 2012–13 IRB Sevens World Series, but was relegated the following season.

The team trains together at the country's Olympic training facilities in Madrid, which itself has been a result of the sport entering its first Olympic cycle.[2] Spain won the 2016 Olympic qualifying repechage tournament by beating Samoa 22–19 to qualify for the last available qualifying spot for the 2016 Summer Olympics.[3][4][5]

The team also competes annually in Rugby Europe's Sevens Grand Prix Series tournament.[6]

Tournament history

[edit]

Summer Olympic Games

[edit]
Spain's Olympic Games results
Year Round Position Pld W L D
Brazil 2016 Placement round 10th 5 1 4 0
Japan 2020 did not qualify
Total Placement round 1/1 5 1 4 0
Matches
Pool stage  Spain 0 – 24  South Africa Loss
Pool stage  Spain 12 – 26  Australia Loss
Pool stage  Spain 5 – 26  France Loss
9–12th place playoff semi-final  Spain 14 – 12  Kenya Win
9–12th place playoff Ninth place  Spain 14 – 24  United States Loss

Rugby World Cup Sevens

[edit]
Rugby World Cup Sevens Record
Year Round Position Pld W L D
Scotland 1993 Plate Finalist 10th 7 3 4 0
Hong Kong 1997 Plate Quarterfinalist 13th 5 3 2 0
Argentina 2001 Plate Semifinalist 11th 7 4 3 0
Hong Kong 2005 Did not qualify
United Arab Emirates 2009
Russia 2013 Bowl Quarterfinalist 21st 4 0 4 0
United States 2018 Did not qualify
South Africa 2022
Total 0 Titles 4/7 23 10 13 0

World Rugby Sevens Series

[edit]

Spain started off the 2012–13 IRB Sevens Series with a bang at the 2012 Gold Coast Sevens, defeating core teams Wales and England to finish ninth and win the Bowl. Pedro Martin led Spain in scoring in the 2012 Gold Coast Sevens, contributing 5 tries and 27 points, while Pablo Feijoo added 4 tries and 22 points.[7]

Spain was elevated to "core team" status for the 2012–13 IRB Sevens World Series, following its performance in qualifying at the 2012 Hong Kong Sevens. At that tournament, Spain defeated Zimbabwe, Philippines, Tonga and Japan to reach the finals, where it lost to Canada.[8] Spain participated in other events during the 2011–12 IRB Sevens World Series. In that season, Spain played in the 2012 Scotland Sevens, reaching the Bowl finals, and the 2012 London Sevens, reaching the Cup quarterfinal.

Spain's best finish on the World Series was the 2017–18 season where Spain finished 11th.

Players

[edit]

Current squad

[edit]

The following players have been selected to represent Spain during the 2023–24 SVNS tournament beginning in December 2023.

Note: Caps reflect the total number of SVNS events competed in as of the 2023 South Africa Sevens.

Player Position Date of birth (age) Caps Club/province
Enrique Bolinches Forward (2001-08-03) 3 August 2001 (age 23) 18 Unattached
Ángel Bozal Forward (1999-11-17) 17 November 1999 (age 24) 2 Unattached
Antón Legorburu Forward 2001 (age 22–23) 2 Unattached
Manu Moreno Forward (1998-09-02) 2 September 1998 (age 26) 20 Ciencias
Nicolás Nieto Forward (1995-03-17) 17 March 1995 (age 29) 14 Unattached
Álvaro Rodriguez Gassot Forward (2002-12-26) 26 December 2002 (age 21) 4 Unattached
Tobías Sainz-Trápaga Forward (1999-02-02) 2 February 1999 (age 25) 19 Unattached
Josep Serres Forward (2000-10-04) 4 October 2000 (age 24) 23 Unattached
Alejandro Laforga Back (1999-08-29) 29 August 1999 (age 25) 13 Cisneros
Eduardo López (c) Back (1999-01-14) 14 January 1999 (age 25) 26 Unattached
Jaime Manteca Back (2004-06-29) 29 June 2004 (age 20) 14 Unattached
Juan Martínez Back (2000-12-05) 5 December 2000 (age 23) 24 Unattached
Pol Pla Back (1993-02-18) 18 February 1993 (age 31) 40 Unattached
Juan Ramos Back (1995-10-11) 11 October 1995 (age 29) 33 Unattached
Miguel Reina Back (1999-06-16) 16 June 1999 (age 25) 14 Unattached

Records and statistics

[edit]

Former squads

[edit]
Spain squad for the 2017–18 World Rugby Sevens Series

2017–18 Sevens Series[9]
Player Age
Alejandro Alonso 19
Francisco Hernández 29
Ignacio Martin Goenaga 34
Ignacio Rodriguez-Guerra 22
Igor Genua (c)[10] 29
Iñaki Villanueva 27
Jacobo Martin Beamonte 24
Jaike Carter 31
Javier Carrión 27
Javier De Juan 27
Josh Taylor 20
Lucas Levy 27
Manuel Sainz-Trapaga 25
Marcos Poggi 30
Pablo Fontes 22
Pol Pla 25
Thomas Pearce 27
Pablo Feijoo (Head Coach)
Spain team to the 2014 London Sevens

Squad to
2014 London Sevens
:[11]
Player
Adam Newton
Inaki Villanueva
Javier Carrion
Javier de Juan
Matias Tudela
Jacobo Martin
Jaike Carter
Gauthier Minguillon
Francisco Hernandez
Angel Lopez
Glen Rolls
Pablo Fontes
Spain team to the 2012 Hong Kong Sevens

Squad for
2012 Hong Kong Sevens:
[12]
Player Number
Ignacio Martin 1
Carlos Blanco 2
Javier Canosa 3
Pablo Feijóo (c) 4
César Sempere 5
Martín Heredia 6
Pedro Martín 7
Juan Cano 8
Angel Lopez 9
Matías Tudela 10
Ryan Le Roux 11
Marcus Poggi 12

Coach

[edit]

Pablo Feijoo has served as head coach of the Spain national rugby sevens team since the 2016–17 season. He played in the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Russia,[13] and was a member of the squad that defeated Samoa 7s to secure a place in the 2016 Summer Olympics.[14][15][16]

Feijoo replaced Ignacio "Tiki" Inchausti, who played in Spain's only ever appearance at the 1999 fifteens Rugby World Cup, and also played at the Rugby World Cup Sevens in 2001 in Mar del Plata. Prior to his appointment to the men's team, Inchausti was in charge of Spain's women's squad, whom he managed to qualify for the inaugural participation of women in the tournament in Dubai in 2009. Inchausti coached the Spanish men's men's side from 2010, helping them qualify as a core team in 2012.[17]

Player records

[edit]

Players in bold are still active.

Tries scored[18]
No. Player Tries
1 Pol Pla 94
2 Eduardo Lopez 51
3 Manuel Sainz-Trapaga 40
4 Eduardo Lopez 39
5 Juan Ramos 38

2008 Hannover Sevens

[edit]

Group A matches

  POR GEO ESP GER RUS ROM
Portugal 26–10 28–5 14–12 45–5 38–0
Georgia 28–5 26–0 5–0 12–0
Spain 26–22 7–29 14–0
Germany 17–12 24–21
Russia 19–19
Romania
Team Pld W D L PF PA +/- Pts
 Portugal 5 5 0 0 151 32 +119 15
 Georgia 5 4 0 1 81 31 +50 13
 Spain 5 2 0 3 57 107 −50 9
 Germany 5 2 0 3 75 99 −24 9
 Russia 5 1 1 3 74 100 −26 8
 Romania 5 0 1 4 31 100 −69 6

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  • McLaren, Bill A Visit to Hong Kong in Starmer-Smith, Nigel & Robertson, Ian (eds) The Whitbread Rugby World '90 (Lennard Books, 1989)
  1. ^ "About HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series". Worldrugby.org. 13 November 2017. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  2. ^ IRB.com, Spain Sevens all set for Series challenge[usurped], 25 September 2012
  3. ^ "Spain upsets Samoa to qualify for Rio 2016". blitzbokke.com. 19 June 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  4. ^ "Rio 2016: Spain qualify for Olympic sevens rugby with dramatic win over Samoa". BBC. 19 June 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  5. ^ "Spain pip Samoa to Rio 7s spot". Stuff.co.nz. 20 June 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  6. ^ "2018 – Men 7s Grand Prix Series". RugbyEurope.eu. Rugby Europe. Archived from the original on 3 May 2018. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  7. ^ IRB.com, HSBC Sevens World Series, Statistics[usurped]
  8. ^ "2011/12 IRB Sevens World Series, Hong Kong: Results – Final". Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  9. ^ "Spain Squad". Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  10. ^ "Final rosters named for Singapore Sevens". AmericasRugbyNews.com. Americas Rugby News. 27 April 2018. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  11. ^ 2014 London Sevens[usurped]
  12. ^ "2011/12 IRB Sevens World Series – Hong Kong". WorldRugby.org. World Rugby. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  13. ^ "2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens – Spain 7s". World Rugby.org. June 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  14. ^ "Spain keep faith with repechage heroes for Rio". World Rugby.org. 18 July 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  15. ^ "Rio Olympics: Team squads for the 7s". Sky Sports. 28 July 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  16. ^ "FEIJOO Pablo". Rio 2016. Archived from the original on 26 November 2016. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  17. ^ IRB.com, Spain Sevens all set for Series challenge[usurped], 25 September 2012
  18. ^ "Stats Centre | HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series".
[edit]