Catalonia national rugby union team

Catalonia

Union	Catalan Rugby Federation
Nickname(s)	El XV de la ginesta
Coach(es)	Diego Fucks Jordi Ribas
Team kit Change kit
First international
Catalonia 5 – 5 Italy (Barcelona, Catalonia; 14 April 1934)
Largest win
Catalonia 66 – 6 Andorra (Sant Boi, Catalonia; 25 March 1995)
Largest defeat
Catalonia 15 – 67 Russia (L'Hospitalet, Catalonia; 24 March 1998)

The Catalonia national rugby union team is the national rugby team of Catalonia. It was a founding member of FIRA in 1934, but since 1941 is a former official national team. It is currently trying to be official again.

History

Catalonia vs Sweden in 2010

The Catalan Rugby Federation (Catalan: Federació Catalana de Rugbi'), created in 1922, was one of the founder members of the Fédération Internationale de Rugby Amateur (FIRA) in 1934.^[1] It played its first match in 1923 against the French club team, Toulouse Lalande Olympique. Its first international match as an official national team was in 1934 against Italy. The teams tied, 5–5, in front of a crowd of more than 15,000 in the Camp de Les Corts. One month later Catalonia played France, losing 15–22.

In 1941, after the Spanish Civil War, Spanish dictator Francisco Franco forcibly merged Catalonia's team into the Spanish rugby team. Nowadays some people are trying to reverse this decision, claiming the historical rights as a founder member of the FIRA in 1934.

Selected matches

As official national team
Date			Result	Place	Stadium
14 April 1934	Catalonia	Italy	5–5	Barcelona	Camp de Les Corts
27 May 1934	Catalonia	France	15–22	Barcelona	Camp de Les Corts
24 March 1935	Italy	Catalonia	5–3	Genoa	Luigi Ferraris
6 July 1936	Catalonia	France	17–24	Barcelona

As non-official national team
Date			Result	Place	Stadium
11th June 1982	Catalonia	Ireland	17–22	Barcelona	La Foixarda
13 January 1990	Catalonia	Italy	8–34	Argelès-sur-Mer
22 April 1990	Catalonia	Tunisia	16–15	Andorra la Vella
25 March 1995	Catalonia	Andorra	66–6	Sant Boi de Llobregat	Estadi Baldiri Aleu
4 June 1995	Catalonia	Czech Republic	40–12	Barcelona
28 May 1997	Catalonia	France	18–58	Barcelona	Olímpic Lluís Companys
24 March 1998	Catalonia	Russia	15–67	L'Hospitalet
13 June 1998	Catalonia	Italy	19–40	Barcelona	Feixa Llarga
14 February 2010	Catalonia	Sweden	17–21	Sant Boi de Llobregat	Estadi Baldiri Aleu[2][3]
25 September 2010	Catalonia	France Classic	12–29	Barcelona	Estadi de la Foixarda[4]

Current squad

Catalonia national team in 2010 vs Sweden

Catalonia vs. Sweden (2010)^[5]

#	Name	Club
1	Josep Raya	CR Sant Cugat
2	Omar Miniño	UE Santboiana
3	Marc González	BUC
4	Pol Massoni	UE Santboiana
5	Ignacio Gaminde	RC l'Hospitalet
6	Ivan Gurriere	FC Barcelona
7	Andrés Rangel	CR Sant Cugat
8	Sergi Guerrero	UE Santboiana
9	Marc Puigvert	UE Santboiana
10	Àlex Benet	CN Poble Nou
11	Cristian Martín	UE Santboiana
12	Sebastià Fernández	FC Barcelona
13	Sergi Aubanell	UE Santboiana
14	Jordi Sánchez	BUC
15	Geoffroy Lourdou	CR Sant Cugat
16	Leo Paredes	CR Sant Cugat
17	Óscar Ferreras	RC l'Hospitalet
18	Gerard Blasco	RC l'Hospitalet
19	Àlex Palomo	UE Santboiana
20	David Porto	SEL Vilanova
21	Víctor Linares	Químic RC
22	Pau Puigdollers	CR Sant Cugat
23	Ignasi Baqué	RC l'Hospitalet

Notes and references

1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 16 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-31.
2. "La selecció a un pas de la remuntada" (in Catalan). El 9 esportiu. 15 Feb 2010.
3. "Katalonien-Sverige 17–21" (in Swedish). Swedish Rugby Union. 14 Feb 2010.
4. "Una festa completa a la Foixarda" (in Catalan). El 9 esportiu. 26 Sep 2010.
5. "Torna Catalunya, el XV de la ginesta" (in Catalan). El 9 esportiu. 14 Feb 2010.

See also

• Rugby union in Catalonia

External links

• Catalan Rugby Federation