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 (Spanish Rugby Federation) and currently consists of 12 teams.

División de Honor de Rugby
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2023–24 División de Honor de Rugby
SportRugby union
Founded1953; 71 years ago (1953)
Owner(s)Federación Española de Rugby
No. of teams12
Country Spain
Most recent
champion(s)
Valladolid RAC (12th title)
Most titlesValladolid RAC (12 titles)
TV partner(s)TVE
FERUGBYTV on YouTube (Live Streams)
Relegation toDivisión de Honor B
International cup(s)European Rugby Challenge Cup
European Rugby Continental Shield
Related
competitions
Copa del Rey de Rugby Supercopa de España de Rugby
Official websiteferugby.es

The last-placed team in the competition is relegated at the end of the season to the División de Honor B, 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 edit

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 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 semi-final berth automatically, while the next four teams participate in semi-final play-off to take the remaining two spots.

Promotion and relegation edit

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.


History edit

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 edit

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.

Team Seasons 🏆
09-10
08-09
07-08
06-07
05-06
04-05
03-04
02-03
01-02
00-01
99-00
98-99
97-98
96-97
95-96
94-95
93-94
92-93
91-92
90-91
89-90
88-89
87-88
86-87
85-86
84-85
83-84
82-83
81-82
80-81
79-80
78-79
77-78
76-77
75-76
74-75
73-74
72-73
71-72
70-71
69-70
53-54
52-53
Santboiana 54 8 4 2 9 5 7 6 4 4 2 8 2 3 7 6 5 8 3 1 1 4 5 4 8 3 2 2 1 1 5 7 5 2 5 5 1 2 1 2 7 1 3 x x x x 7 6 4 6 7 4 3 4 3
Complutense Cisneros 40 2 7 6 7 10 10 9 5 5 3 3 7 10 10 8 10 7 4 7 10 4 7 6 8 2 4 5 3 1 6 x x x x 5 3 1 2 5 7 5
El Salvador 38 8 1 3 2 2 2 1 2 5 2 4 7 3 1 2 1 1 2 2 1 1 2 7 2 5 1 9 6 3 7 6 1 2 5 3 8 3 2 2
Pozuelo 37 5 11 12 8 5 6 5 1 3 2 5 2 4 3 6 1 4 3 6 5 12 10 10 4 7 x x x x 8 7 5 4 3 1 1 1 3
Getxo RT 35 1 12 12 11 8 9 7 8 5 10 5 8 5 7 8 10 9 8 8 8 2 3 2 2 1 5 3 4 9 4 4 9 5 x x x
Valladolid 35 12 1 9 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 5 4 4 4 4 6 4 3 3 5 1 5 1 4 4 7 3 4 10 10 x x x
Ciencias 32 2 3 5 8 9 12 12 9 8 6 3 3 2 10 6 9 4 6 3 7 5 2 4 1 3 1 9 3 6 4 4 x x
Arquitectura 29 9 10 10 11 3 6 1 5 6 4 4 1 3 1 2 1 3 7 4 1 1 x x 2 1 2 1 1 2 4
FC Barcelona 26 2 6 7 5 6 6 7 10 7 11 10 6 7 4 5 3 x x x 10 9 6 8 3 2 1 1
Valencia 22 1 10 7 12 9 9 8 11 11 8 6 9 5 3 8 5 6 1 x 3 3 x 6


Alcobendas 19 1 3 1 3 3 3 3 6 10 8 9 9 8 7 2 1 5 12 x x
Ordizia RE 20 - 8 4 4 4 4 5 7 9 7 6 5 2 2 7 7 6 7 7 x x
At. San Sebastián 17 3 10 2 4 2 x x x 1 1 8 8 7 4 8 6 5 1
CAU Madrid 15 2 9 8 3 x x 1 1 3 2 3 3 6 7 8 4
RC Cornellà 15 1 10 12 8 9 8 7 x x x 1 4 5 6 10 9
Gernika RT 16 - 12 12 12 8 8 11 6 9 3 6 4 8 12 8 7 x
Hernani CRE 15 - 12 9 11 9 10 10 10 11 10 10 2 2 2 2 x
Liceo Francés 14 - 9 8 3 4 7 5 9 8 2 3 2 7 9 x
CDU Valladolid 14 - 12 10 7 5 6 x x x x 10 4 9 8 8
Bera Bera RT 12 - 9 9 6 7 5 4 3 5 10 11 9 8
CN Barcelona 11 - x x x x 9 10 5 2 5 7 3
Independiente 10 - 11 7 8 4 6 3 4 4 x x
BUC 10 - 3 10 8 6 9 11 10 6 x x
CDU Sevilla 9 - 9 6 6 6 2 10 6 8 12
La Vila 9 1 13 11 11 10 12 4 1 2 8
CAR / RACA 7 1 x x 4 1 9 7 9
CN Montjuïc 7 - 11 10 11 9 x x x
Les Abelles 7 - 10 10 10 10 9 8 x
Olímpico RC 6 - 11 9 7 x x 10
CDU Granada 5 - 9 6 x x x
Aparejadores 5 - 2 8 6 8 5


Vigo RC 4 - 12 11 10 9
Oviedo RC 4 - 10 7 9 12
Filosofía y Letras RC 4 - 11 8 6 6
Irún RT 4 - x x x x
Zaharrean RT 4 - x x x x
Sevilla FC 4 - x x x x
CR Divina Pastora 4 - x x x x
CEU Barcelona 4 - 10 5 6 6


CAU Valencia 3 - 10 9 7
CR At.Portuense 3 - x x x


CDU Bilbao 3 - x x x
GEiEG 3 - x x x
Juv. Karmen 3 - x x x
Bilbao RC 3 - x x x
L'Hospitalet 2 - 9 8
Tatami RC 2 - 10 x
CN Poble Nou 2 - x x
Hípica RC 2 - x x
Atlético Madrid 2 - 2 2
Bathco 1 - 11
CDU Córdoba 1 - x
Sporting Gijón 1 - 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 1 - 4
Belenos RC 1 - 9

Past winners edit

Year Champion Runner-up Third place
1953   FC Barcelona   Atlético Madrid   Santboiana
1954   FC Barcelona   Atlético Madrid   Natació Barcelona
1955-69 Not 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   Santboiana
2008   El Salvador   Ciencias Sevilla   Pozuelo Boadilla
2009   CRC Madrid   El Salvador   Ciencias Sevilla
2010   El Salvador   La Vila   Ciencias Sevilla
2011   La Vila   Ordizia   El Salvador
2012   Valladolid   Ordizia   Santboiana
2013   Valladolid   Santboiana   Gernika
2014   Valladolid   El Salvador   CR Complutense Cisneros
2015   Valladolid   Santboiana   Complutense Cisneros
2016   El Salvador   Valladolid   Bathco Independiente
2017   Valladolid   El Salvador   Alcobendas
2018   Valladolid   El Salvador   Alcobendas
2019   Valladolid   El Salvador   Alcobendas
2020   Valladolid   El Salvador   Alcobendas
2021   Valladolid   Alcobendas   El Salvador
2022   Santboiana   AMPO Ordizia   El Salvador
2023   Valladolid   Recoletas Burgos–UBU   Real Ciencias Enerside

Titles by team edit

Team Titles Year Region
Valladolid 12 1999, 2001, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023  
Arquitectura 9 1974, 1975, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1995  
Santboiana 8 1984, 1987, 1989, 1996, 1997, 2005, 2006, 2022  
El Salvador 8 1991, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2016  
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  
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.

See also edit

External links edit