División de Honor de Rugby


The División de Honor de Rugby is Spain's top level professional men's rugby union competition. The División de Honor de Rugby Championship is organised by the Federación Española de Rugby and currently consists of 11 teams.
The last-placed team in the competition is relegated at the end of the season to the División de Honor Élite, Spain`s second level of men's rugby union. The team finishing 11th enters a relegation/promotion playoff with the runner-up from the Division de Honor B playoffs.
WWW ferugby.es

Format

The División de Honor season takes place between September and May, 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 3 or more tries in a match than the other team
  • 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 qualify for 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

TeamManagerCaptainStadiumCapacity
AlcobendasJavier GarridoDiego de MinteguiagaCampo de Rugby Las Terrazas2,000
Aparejadores BurgosJosé BassoPablo RascónCD San Amaro1,000
Real CienciasTomás CarrióMichael HoggInstalaciones Deportivas La Cartuja3,000
Complutense CisnerosValentin TelleriarteIke IrustaEstadio Nacional Complutense12,400
El SalvadorJuan Carlos PérezFacundo MunillaEstadio Pepe Rojo5,000
FC BarcelonaSantiago MonteagudoRochedi MirabetLa Teixonera500
La VilaHernan Diego QuirelliGastón DemergassoEstadio de Rugby "El Pantano"1,550
Liceo FrancésFernando DíezEstadio Ramon Urtubi500
OrdiziaFederico GalloOier GoiaEstadio Municipal de Altamira2,000
SantboianaSergio GuerreroEstadi Baldiri Aleu3,500
VRACDiego MerinoIlaitia GavidiEstadio Pepe Rojo5,000

History

The Spanish Rugby Championship was created in 1926, and was the only national rugby competition for decades. A national league was not considered until the 1950s, with the first season being 1952-53. Four teams competed: two from Catalonia and two from Castille.
FC Barcelona won the league that year and retained the title the following season, but the league folded. There were various attempts to relaunch it, but none bore fruit until the 1969-70 season, when the National Rugby League was created. Six clubs competed in the first division, which was increased to eight in 1970-71 and then ten in 1972-73.
For the 1978-79 season, the league was restructured into four regional groups of eight teams. The top team from each region were crowned champions.
From the 1979-1980 season, the four regional champions progressed to a final stage, named the Superliga. This format was maintained until the 1982-1983 season, when a national division of eight teams was created.

Performance by season

The following scrollable table shows the teams' final league positions in each season.
The playoff champions - not necessarily the team finishing first in the league - are highlighted in gold, except in 1979 when the championship was shared.
For the years 1979-1982, all participating teams are denoted with an X.

TeamSeasons?
Santboiana5685642957644282376583114548322115752551212713xxxx764674343
Complutense Cisneros4227776710109553371010810747104768245316xxxx5312575
El Salvador4094413222125247312112211272519637612538322-
Pozuelo395111011128565132524361436512101047xxxx875431113
Valladolid3713111921112111115444464335151447341010xxx
Getxo RT3511212118978510585781098882322153494495xxx
Ciencias34263358912129863321069463752413193644xx
Arquitectura29910101136156441312137411xx2121124
FC Barcelona282811675667107111067453xxx109683211
Valencia221107129981111869538561x33x6
Ordizia RE22-99844445797652277677xx
Alcobendas211353133336108998721512xx
At. San Sebastián17310242xxx1188748651
Gernika RT16-12121288116936481287x
CAU Madrid152983xx1132336784
RC Cornellà15110128987xxx1456109
Hernani CRE15-1291191010101110102222x
Liceo Francés14-9834759823279x
CDU Valladolid14-1210756xxxx104988
Bera Bera RT12-99675435101198
CN Barcelona11-xxxx91052573
La Vila1011013111110124128
Independiente10-117846344xx
BUC10-31086911106xx
CDU Sevilla9-96662106812
Les Abelles9-1281010101098x
CAR / RACA81xx41979
CN Montjuïc7-1110119xxx
Aparejadores7-2228685
Olímpico RC6-1197xx10
CDU Granada5-96xxx
Vigo RC4-1211109
Oviedo RC4-107912
Filosofía y Letras RC4-11866
Irún RT4-xxxx
Zaharrean RT4-xxxx
Sevilla FC4-xxxx
CR Divina Pastora4-xxxx
CEU Barcelona4-10566
CAU Valencia3-1097--
CR At.Portuense3-xxx
CDU Bilbao3-xxx
GEiEG3-xxx
Juv. Karmen3-xxx
Bilbao RC3-xxx
Belenos2-129--
L'Hospitalet2-98
Tatami RC2-10x
CN Poble Nou2-xx
Hípica RC2-xx
Atlético Madrid2-22
Bathco1-11
CDU Córdoba1-x
Sporting Gijón1-x
CDC San José1-x
CM Isabel la Católica1-x-
Arquitectos Granada1-x
Arquitectura Sevilla1-x
SEU Madrid1-4
AD Plus Ultra0--