Rugby league in Spain
Rugby league is a team sport that is played in several regions of Spain. The game gained popularity in the autonomous community of Catalonia following the success of the Perpignan-based Catalans Dragons club in the Rugby League Challenge Cup and Super League from 2006 onwards. New clubs have subsequently been formed in the Valencian Community, Madrid and Andalucia. For example, the first game in the province of Castellon took place in November 2013. A Spanish National team played their first rugby league international in 2014 and have reached the final qualifying stage for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.
Governing bodies
The Asociación Española de Rugby League (Spanish Rugby League Association) was formed and admitted to the Rugby League European Federation in 2013.
L'Associació Catalana de Rugby Lliga, formed in 2008, is the governing body for rugby league in 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, they are a newer concept than the Catalonia team playing their first international, a victory over Belgium in 2014. By beating Latvia in a playoff and then Malta and Greece in an initial qualifying group, they advanced to the final qualifying stage for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, where they were placed in a three team group (Pool B) alongside Russia and Ireland. Their first result was a 6-40 loss to Russia, at Fili Stadium, Moscow on 15 October 2016 [1] and their second a 46-6 defeat by Ireland, which resulted in their elimination.
The final 22-man squad representing Spain Rugby League in the 2017 Rugby League World Cup Qualifiers Pool B, as of 4 October 2016, was as follows:[2]
- Coach:
Darren Fisher
- * Denotes a rugby union club.
