 | |||
| Nickname | Las Leonas | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Union | Spanish Rugby Federation | ||
| Head coach | Régis Sonnes | ||
| Captain | Cristina Blanco | ||
| Mostcaps | Aroa González (74) | ||
| |||
| World Rugby ranking | |||
| Current | 14 (as of 22 September 2025) | ||
| First international | |||
 Spain 0–28France  (2 May 1989) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
Spain 119–0Finland  (A Coruña, Spain; 30 April 2011) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 England 97–7Spain (Leicester, England; 2 August 2025) | |||
| World Cup | |||
| Appearances | 7 (First in1991) | ||
| Best result | 6th place (1991) | ||
TheSpain women's national rugby union team played their first match on 2 May 1989, againstFrance, losing 0-28. The team played theWomen's Six Nations from 2000 to 2006, but they were replaced byItaly for 2007, in order to mirror themen's tournament.
| Rank | Change* | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | England | 97.76 |
| 2 | |  Canada | 90.13 |
| 3 | |  New Zealand | 88.76 |
| 4 | | France | 86.42 |
| 5 | |  Ireland | 78.20 |
| 6 | |  Scotland | 77.39 |
| 7 | |  Australia | 75.46 |
| 8 | |  United States | 72.90 |
| 9 | |  Italy | 72.37 |
| 10 | |  South Africa | 71.62 |
| 11 | |  Japan | 69.72 |
| 12 | |  Wales | 66.13 |
| 13 | |  Fiji | 63.98 |
| 14 | | Spain | 62.42 |
| 15 | |  Samoa | 59.72 |
| 16 | |  Hong Kong | 57.56 |
| 17 | |  Netherlands | 57.42 |
| 18 | |  Russia | 55.10 |
| 19 | |  Kazakhstan | 53.88 |
| 20 | |  Kenya | 50.68 |
| *Change from the previous week | |||
Currently there are over 200 clubs in Spain and a league similar to that of male rugby. The first steps were taken in 1913, when women played in secret in schools, but rugby first began to be played seriously at training camps at the School of Architecture of Madrid in the early 70s by a group of architecture students. They formed a group of about 20 girls who trained regularly twice per week and as they were the only ones who practiced, played sided games between themselves. They played well
In the late seventies a group of female PE students taught by Jose Antonio Sancha, a professor of Rugby at Barcelona INEF, decided to train with the men's rugby and played the game seriously (though they were not recognised by the Catalan Federation rugby until 1983).
The first game was played in Barcelona between the BUC and INEF clubs and other clubs quickly formed in different parts of Spain but mainly in the early years only came from Barcelona and Madrid. In a few years female rugby spread to Madrid, the Basque Country and Valencia. In 1991 27 women's teams participating in regional competitions.
The national team first played in Cardiff (Wales) at the Rugby World Cup, where they won the fifth place behind the United States, England, France and New Zealand. In 1994, the Spanish team was unable to come to Scotland because of budgetary problems, however Spain remained one of the top teams in Europe. In 1995 Spain became the unexpected champions of the first European Championship by defeating rival France, in the final 21–6. The 1996 European brought a repeat of that final but this time the Spanish lost by 15–10.
In January 1997 a tour of England took place where Spain and were in the lead against the World Champions until 10 minutes from the end of the match. Only a last minute try by England gave them the win and in European (the first where all the British teams competed) played the final but Spain came 3rd. Spain qualified for the World Championships in Amsterdam and managed a creditable 7th place. Spain again reached the European final in 1999 against France, losing 13–5, after beating Wales (14–8) and Scotland (11–9).
The 2002 World Cup was held in Barcelona, New Zealand retaining its title in defeating (19–9) to England in the final at the Olympic Stadium Lluis Companys. France took the bronze after beating Canada (41–7), while Spain finished in 8th place after yielding to the United States (23–5).
Spain were also members of the Five and Six Nations from 2000 to 2006, finishing third on three occasions and winning 10 of the 33 games they played. However, in 2007 they were replaced by Italy because the Six Nations Committee wished to align the women's tournament with the men's. This has severely reduced Spain's opportunities to play top level international rugby, and may have been a factor in Spain's failure to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. However, they were compensated a little in 2010 when they won the "double" of the European 15s and 7s titles without losing a game.
| Rugby World Cup | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991 | Plate final | 6th | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 55 | 38 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994 | Withdrew | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998 | Plate Semi-final | 8th | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 71 | 141 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002 | Quarter-finals | 8th | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 83 | 66 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | Group stage | 9th | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 41 | 132 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | Did not qualify | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Group stage | 9th | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 105 | 86 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Group stage | 10th | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 73 | 134 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Did not qualify | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025 | Group stage | — | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 56 | 126 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2029 | TBD | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2033 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 7/10 | 6th† | 32 | 13 | 0 | 19 | 484 | 723 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Women's Six Nations Championship record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Position | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA |
| 2000 Women's Five Nations |  | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 53 | 88 |
| 2001 Women's Five Nations | | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 31 | 47 |
| 2002 Women's Six Nations | 4th | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 56 | 100 |
| 2003 Women's Six Nations | 6th | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 14 | 204 |
| 2004 Women's Six Nations | | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 29 | 114 |
| 2005 Women's Six Nations | 4th | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 32 | 161 |
| 2006 Women's Six Nations | 6th | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 25 | 175 |
| Total | 3rd (best result) | 33 | 10 | 1 | 22 | 240 | 889 |
(Full internationals only, updated to3 August 2025)
| Opponent | First Match | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 1998 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 17 | 0.00% |
 Belgium | 2010 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 142 | 0 | 100.00% |
 Brazil | 2025 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 12 | 100.00% |
| Canada | 1991 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 129 | 0.00% |
 Czech Republic | 2016 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 97 | 0 | 100.00% |
| England | 1991 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 145 | 811 | 10.53% |
| Fiji | 2023 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 27 | 100.00% |
| Finland | 2011 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 119 | 0 | 100.00% |
| France | 1989 | 20 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 154 | 450 | 30.00% |
 Germany | 1996 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 171 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Hong Kong | 2015 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 189 | 30 | 100.00% |
| Ireland | 1997 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 154 | 154 | 54.55% |
| Italy | 1991 | 16 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 297 | 235 | 62.50% |
| Japan | 1991 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 151 | 89 | 40.00% |
| Kazakhstan | 1998 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 64 | 20 | 100.00% |
| Kenya | 2023 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 100.00% |
 Madagascar | 2024 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 83 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Netherlands | 1991 | 15 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 631 | 53 | 100.00% |
| New Zealand | 1998 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 46 | 0.00% |
 Portugal | 2024 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 7 | 100.00% |
| Russia | 2007 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 178 | 10 | 100.00% |
| Samoa | 2006 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 65 | 22 | 100.00% |
| Scotland | 1997 | 23 | 8 | 0 | 15 | 275 | 442 | 34.78% |
| South Africa | 2014 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 179 | 232 | 33.33% |
 Sweden | 2004 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 342 | 24 | 87.50% |
| United States | 1998 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 35 | 124 | 0.00% |
| Wales | 1998 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 187 | 180 | 58.33% |
| Summary | 1989 | 175 | 94 | 3 | 78 | 3837 | 3114 | 53.71% |
On 11 August 2025, Spain named their final 32-player squad to theWomen's Rugby World Cup inEngland.[2][3]
Note: The age and number of caps listed for each player is as of 22 August 2025, the first day of the tournament.
| Player | Position | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Club/province |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cristina Blanco | Hooker | (1995-09-30)30 September 1995 (aged 29) | 31 | Trailfinders |
| Nuria Jou | Hooker | (2001-11-10)10 November 2001 (aged 23) | 11 | UE Santboiana |
| Marieta Román | Hooker | (1999-02-12)12 February 1999 (aged 26) | 23 | Cocodrilas |
| Inés Antolínez | Prop | (1997-01-16)16 January 1997 (aged 28) | 21 | El Salvador |
| Sidorella Bracic | Prop | (1993-06-12)12 June 1993 (aged 32) | 27 | El Salvador |
| Mireia de Andrés | Prop | (1999-09-10)10 September 1999 (aged 25) | 9 | Sant Cugat |
| Laura Delgado (cc) | Prop | (1990-04-07)7 April 1990 (aged 35) | 51 | Harlequins |
| Eider García | Prop | (2005-02-03)3 February 2005 (aged 20) | 5 | Lyon OU [fr] |
| Gemma Silva | Prop | (2005-05-09)9 May 2005 (aged 20) | 6 | AVR FC Barcelona [es] |
| Lourdes Alameda | Second row | (1991-07-29)29 July 1991 (aged 34) | 42 | AC Bobigny 93 [fr] |
| Mónica Castelo | Second row | (1987-04-18)18 April 1987 (aged 38) | 28 | Stade Rennais [fr] |
| Elena Martínez | Second row | (1995-09-09)9 September 1995 (aged 29) | 9 | Stade Rennais [fr] |
| Ana Peralta | Second row | (2003-06-25)25 June 2003 (aged 22) | 8 | CRAT |
| Anna Puig | Second row | (1999-10-14)14 October 1999 (aged 25) | 36 | UE Santboiana |
| Victoria Rosell | Second row | (2005-09-30)30 September 2005 (aged 19) | 7 | Complutense Cisneros |
| Nerea García | Flanker | (1996-11-17)17 November 1996 (aged 28) | 8 | El Salvador |
| Alba Capell | Back row | (2003-10-28)28 October 2003 (aged 21) | 29 | Sale Sharks |
| Valentina Pérez | Back row | (2004-12-27)27 December 2004 (aged 20) | 7 | Turia |
| Lia Piñeiro | Back row | (2001-08-18)18 August 2001 (aged 24) | 10 | Olímpico de Pozuelo |
| Maider Aresti | Scrum-half | (2003-07-24)24 July 2003 (aged 22) | 13 | Getxo |
| Anne Fernández de Corres | Scrum-half | (1998-05-30)30 May 1998 (aged 27) | 35 | Eibar RT |
| Bingbing Vergara | Scrum-half | (2005-04-19)19 April 2005 (aged 20) | 9 | El Salvador |
| Amàlia Argudo | Fly-half | (2000-01-24)24 January 2000 (aged 25) | 25 | Stade Toulousain |
| Lea Ducher | Centre | (2002-04-29)29 April 2002 (aged 23) | 5 | Cocodrilas |
| Clàudia Peña | Centre | (2004-10-26)26 October 2004 (aged 20) | 26 | Harlequins |
| Claudia Pérez | Centre | (2004-06-29)29 June 2004 (aged 21) | 17 | Majadahonda [es] |
| Zahía Pérez | Centre | (2004-01-14)14 January 2004 (aged 21) | 30 | Complutense Cisneros |
| Alba Vinuesa (cc) | Centre | (1999-03-30)30 March 1999 (aged 26) | 35 | Stade Français |
| Claudia Cano | Wing | (2005-08-02)2 August 2005 (aged 20) | 14 | Complutense Cisneros |
| Ana Cortés | Wing | (2006-11-07)7 November 2006 (aged 18) | 6 | CRC Pozuelo |
| Tecla Masoko | Wing | (2000-05-20)20 May 2000 (aged 25) | 8 | El Salvador |
| Clara Piquero | Wing | (1999-02-11)11 February 1999 (aged 26) | 28 | Section Paloise [fr] |
| # | Player | Position | Career | Caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  Aroa González | Hooker | 1997–2017 | 74 |
| 2. |  Inés Etxegibel | Fly-half | 1994–2007 | 64 |
 Rocío García | Prop | 2003–2017 | ||
| 4. | Isabel Rodríguez | Scrum-half | 2003–2011 | 56 |
| 5. | Bárbara Plà | Centre | 2004–2017 | 53 |
| 6. |  Pilar López | Lock | 1996–2003 | 49 |
| Nerea Otxoa de Aspuru | Prop | 2003–2013 | ||
| 8. |  Mercedes Batidor | Flanker | 1995–2002 | 47 |
| 9. |  María Isabel Pérez | Wing | 1991–2002 | 46 |
| 10 | Helena Roca | Centre / Fly-half | 2001–2014 | 45 |
| 10. | Karitte Alegria | Number 8 | 1994–2005 | 43 |
| Coral Vila | Fullback | 1996–2003 | ||
| Paula Medín | Loose forward | 2007–2022 | ||
| Patricia García | Scrum-half | 2010–2022 |
| |
