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 (Spanish Rugby Federation) 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.
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
Team Manager Captain Stadium CapacityAlcobendasJavier GarridoDiego de MinteguiagaCampo de Rugby Las Terrazas2,000Aparejadores BurgosJosé BassoPablo RascónCD San Amaro1,000Real CienciasTomás CarrióMichael HoggInstalaciones Deportivas La Cartuja3,000Complutense CisnerosValentin TelleriarteIke IrustaEstadio Nacional Complutense 12,400El SalvadorJuan Carlos PérezFacundo MunillaEstadio Pepe Rojo5,000FC BarcelonaSantiago MonteagudoRochedi MirabetLa Teixonera500La VilaHernan Diego QuirelliGastón DemergassoEstadio de Rugby "El Pantano"1,550Liceo FrancésFernando DíezEstadio Ramon Urtubi500OrdiziaFederico GalloOier Goia Estadio Municipal de Altamira2,000SantboianaSergio GuerreroEstadi Baldiri Aleu3,500VRACDiego MerinoIlaitia GavidiEstadio Pepe Rojo5,000
History The Spanish Rugby Championship (now the Copa del Rey) 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🏆 Santboiana5685642957644282376583114548322115752551212713xxxx76467434 3 Complutense Cisneros422777671010955337 10 108 1074710476824531 6xxxx53125 75 El Salvador409441322212524731211221127251 9637612538 322 Pozuelo395111011 12856 5 132 5243614365 12101047 xxxx875431113 Valladolid371311192 1112111115444464335151447341010 xxx Getxo RT35112 121189785 1058578 10988823221534 944 95xx x Ciencias342633589 12 12986332 106 94637524131936 44xx Arquitectura299 10 10 1136156441312137411xx2121124 FC Barcelona28281167566710711 106 745 3xxx 109683211 Valencia221 107 12998 11 11869538561x33x6 Ordizia RE22 -99844445797652277677 x x Alcobendas211353133336 108 9 987215 12 x x At. San Sebastián 173 10242xxx1188748651 Gernika RT16 -1212 128811693648 1287 x CAU Madrid 152 983 xx11323367 84 RC Cornellà 151 10 128 987xxx1456 109 Hernani CRE15 - 12911910101011 10 102 222x Liceo Francés14 - 98 3475 982327 9 x CDU Valladolid14 - 1210756 xxxx104988 Bera Bera RT12 - 99675435 10 1198 CN Barcelona11 - xxxx9 105257 3 La Vila101101311 1110 124128 Independiente10 -117846344 xx BUC10 - 3 10869 11106 x x CDU Sevilla 9 - 96662 1068 12 Les Abelles9 -128101010 109 8 x CAR / RACA81 xx41 979 CN Montjuïc7 - 1110 119 x xx Aparejadores7 -2228685 Olímpico RC6 - 1197 x x 10 CDU Granada 5 - 96 xxx Vigo RC4 - 1211109 Oviedo RC4 - 1079 12 Filosofía y Letras RC 4 - 11866 Irún RT 4 - xxxx Zaharrean RT 4 - xxxx Sevilla FC4 - xxxx CR Divina Pastora 4 - xxxx CEU Barcelona 4 - 10566 CAU Valencia3 - 10 97 CR At.Portuense3 - xxx CDU Bilbao 3 - xxx GEiEG 3 - xxx Juv. Karmen 3 - x xx Bilbao RC 3 - xxx Belenos2 -129 L'Hospitalet2 - 98 Tatami RC 2 - 10 x CN Poble Nou 2 - x x Hípica RC 2 - xx Atlético Madrid2 - bgcolor="#ffffff" |22 Bathco1 - 11 CDU Córdoba 1 - x Sporting Gijón1 - x CDC San José 1 - x CM Isabel la Católica 1 - x Arquitectos Granada 1 - x Arquitectura Sevilla 1 - x SEU Madrid 1 - 4 AD Plus Ultra 0 - 4|
Past winners YearChampionRunner-upThird place 1953 FC Barcelona Atlético Madrid Santboiana 1954 FC Barcelona Atlético Madrid Natació Barcelona 1955–69Not held 1970 Atlético San Sebastián FC Barcelona Canoe 1971 Canoe El Salvador FC Barcelona 1972 Canoe El Salvador Santboiana 1973 Canoe Arquitectura El Salvador 1974 Arquitectura Natació Barcelona Canoe 1975 Arquitectura Cisneros CAU Madrid 1976 Cisneros Arquitectura CAU Madrid 1977 Arquitectura CAU Madrid Cisneros 1978 Atlético San Sebastián Arquitectura CAU Madrid 1979 Atlético San Sebastián Hernani Irún CAU Madrid Cisneros Arquitectura Cornellà Santboiana Valencia Amigos del Rugby Sevilla FC Universidad de Granada 1980 CAU Madrid Hernani Valencia 1981 Arquitectura Hernani Valencia 1982 Arquitectura Hernani FC Barcelona 1983 Valencia Atlético San Sebastián Santboiana 1984 Santboiana CAU Madrid Hernani 1985 Cisneros Atlético San Sebastián Arquitectura 1986 Arquitectura Santboiana Cisneros 1987 Santboiana Arquitectura Valencia 1988 Arquitectura Santboiana El Salvador 1989 Santboiana CR Complutense Cisneros Arquitectura 1990 Arquitectura El Salvador Ciencias Sevilla 1991 El Salvador Liceo Francés Getxo 1992 Ciencias Sevilla Santboiana Liceo Francés 1993 Getxo Liceo Francés Ciencias Sevilla 1994 Ciencias Sevilla Getxo El Salvador 1995 Arquitectura Getxo Valladolid 1996 Santboiana Ciencias Sevilla Getxo 1997 Santboiana Getxo Arquitectura 1998 El Salvador Santboiana Real Canoe 1999 Valladolid Santboiana Ciencias Sevilla 2000 Real Canoe El Salvador Santboiana 2001 Valladolid Universidad de Sevilla Liceo Francés 2002 Moraleja Alcobendas El Salvador Madrid 2012 2003 El Salvador Moraleja Alcobendas Valladolid 2004 El Salvador UCM 2M12 Valladolid RAC 2005 Santboiana El Salvador Bera Bera 2006 Santboiana El Salvador USAP BCN 2007 El Salvador Madrid Noroeste Santboiana2008 El Salvador Ciencias Sevilla Pozuelo Boadilla2009 CRC Madrid El Salvador Ciencias Sevilla2010 El Salvador La Vila Ciencias Sevilla2011 La Vila Ordizia El Salvador2012 Valladolid Ordizia Santboiana2013 Valladolid Santboiana Gernika2014 Valladolid El Salvador CR Complutense Cisneros2015 Valladolid Santboiana Complutense Cisneros2016 El Salvador Valladolid Bathco Independiente2017 Valladolid El Salvador Alcobendas2018 Valladolid El Salvador Alcobendas2019 Valladolid El Salvador Alcobendas2020 Valladolid El Salvador Alcobendas2021 Valladolid Alcobendas El Salvador2022 Santboiana AMPO Ordizia El Salvador2023 Valladolid Recoletas Burgos–UBU Real Ciencias Enerside2024 Valladolid Recoletas Burgos–Caja Rural Labiana Real Ciencias2025 El Salvador Complutense Cisneros Valladolid2026 Valladolid Recoletas Burgos–Caja Rural Alcobendas
Titles by team TeamTitlesYearRegionValladolid141999, 2001, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2026El Salvador91991, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2016 , 2025Arquitectura91974, 1975, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1995Santboiana81984, 1987, 1989, 1996, 1997, 2005, 2006, 2022Canoe/CRC Pozuelo51971, 1972, 1973, 2000, 2009Atlético San Sebastián31970, 1978, 1979*Ciencias Sevilla21992, 1994Cisneros21976, 1985CAU Madrid21979*, 1980FC Barcelona21953, 1954La Vila12011Moraleja Alcobendas12002Getxo11993Valencia11983Amigos del Rugby11979*Cornellà11979**1978–79 season; 4 groups competition format, thus 4 champions.
See also División de Honor B de Rugby Copa del Rey de Rugby Supercopa de España de Rugby Copa Ibérica de Rugby/Taça Iberica de Rugby División de Honor Femenina de Rugby Rugby union in Spain
External links Official website