División de Honor de Rugby
The División de Honor is the top club competition for rugby union in Spain. Championships are organised by the Federación Española de Rugby (Spanish Rugby Federation). The tournament was first held in 1953 and currently consists of 12 teams. Clubs are relegated to and promoted from División de Honor B. The winner each year qualifies for the European Challenge Cup, the second-tier European rugby competition.
Current season or competition: | |
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| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Instituted | 1953 |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| Country |  |
| Current champions | VRAC Quesos Entrepinares (2019–20) |
| Most titles | Arquitectura (9 titles) |
| Website | ferugby.es |
The current División de Honor champions are VRAC Quesos Entrepinares from Valladolid, in Castile and León.
Competition
Format
The División de Honor season takes place between September and March, 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 4 tries or more in a match
- 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 play the championship playoffs. The top two teams win a semifinal birth automatically, while the next four teams play off to take the remaining two spots.
The club which finishes bottom is relegated, while the club that finishes 11th goes into a playoff with a team from División de Honor B.
Promotion and relegation
The bottom team in the standings is relegated to División de Honor B, while the team finishing 11th play the relegation playoff. The top team from División de Honor B is promoted to División de Honor.
Current teams
El Salvador
| Team | Stadium | Capacity | City |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valladolid RAC | Pepe Rojo | 5,000 | Valladolid |
| Santboiana | Baldiri Aleu | 4,000 | Sant Boi de Llobregat |
| CR Complutense Cisneros | Estadio Complutense | 12,400 | Madrid |
| Independiente RC | San Román | 1,500 | Santander, Cantabria |
| SilverStorm El Salvador | Pepe Rojo | 5,000 | Valladolid |
| Bizkaia Gernika | Urbieta | 2,500 | Gernika, Bizkaia |
| AMPO Ordizia | Altamira | 500[1] | Ordizia, Gipuzkoa |
| UBU-Colina Clinic | San Amaro | 1,500 | Burgos |
| Hernani | Landare Toki | 500 | Hernani, Gipuzkoa |
| FC Barcelona | La Teixonera | 500 | Barcelona |
| Sanitas Alcobendas | Las Terrazas | 500 | Alcobendas |
| CR La Vila | Campo de Rugby El Pantano | 3,000 | Villajoyosa, Valencia |
Past winners
Titles by team
| Team | Titles | Year | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valladolid | 10 | 1999, 2001, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 |  |
| Arquitectura | 9 | 1974, 1975, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1995 |  |
| El Salvador | 8 | 1991, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2016 | |
| Santboiana | 7 | 1984, 1987, 1989, 1996, 1997, 2005, 2006 |  |
| Canoe/CRC Madrid | 5 | 1971, 1972, 1973, 2000, 2009 | |
| Atlético San Sebastián | 3 | 1970, 1978, 1979* |  |
| Ciencias Sevilla | 2 | 1992, 1994 |  |
| Cisneros | 2 | 1976, 1985 | |
| CAU Madrid | 2 | 1979*, 1980 | |
| FC Barcelona | 2 | 1953, 1954 | |
| La Vila | 1 | 2011 | .svg.png){kind=small} |
| Moraleja Alcobendas | 1 | 2002 | |
| Getxo Artea | 1 | 1993 | |
| Valencia | 1 | 1983 | |
| Amigos del Rugby | 1 | 1979* | |
| Cornellà | 1 | 1979* | |
|
*1978–79 season; 4 groups competition format, thus; 4 champions. | |||
References
- "Estadio Altamira" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 21 October 2010. Retrieved 13 September 2010.