LA VILA RUGBY CLUB

If you are interested in a spot of rugby, a couple of beers and maybe a paella lunch, make a day of it and come to La Vila Rugby Club’s sports stadium situated just a few kilometres outside Benidorm.

La Vila Rugby Club has been running since 1982, and is enjoying its second season in the Spanish Premiership League (the top league in Spain).

In order to be competitive against the likes of teams from Madrid, Barcelona and Seville, La Vila employs 13 professional players from around the globe – many of whom are British lads over for some sun and a slightly different kind of rugby experience. Others hail from as far afield as New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Argentina (to name just a few).

Under the guidance of British coach, Mark Hewitt, the boys train hard – and certainly produce the goods on game day. As this season draws to a close, the club is settled at number two on the log. Not bad for a team playing it’s second season in the league!

For more information, please contact Ignacio Davila 608 068 208 or Jo le Roux at the Rugby La Vila offices 965 890 376 or email

La Vila Rugby Club is situated at Carratera Pantano, Villajoyosa. Take AP-7 exit N° 66 (Villajoyosa). At the first roundabout head for the mountain. The club is about 1km from Motorway exit N° 66. Or take the Villajoyosa by-pass, and take the middle exit. At the first roundabout, bare right towards the motorway entrance and at the second roundabout bare left towards the mountain.

Rugby La Vila Women’s Rugby

If there are any adventurous ladies out there, this one might be for you. La Vila Rugby Club is in the process of starting up a women’s rugby team – the only rugby category not yet offered by the club. The club is looking to find at least 10 players from the age of 18 upwards to participate. The team will be training in preparation for the Women’s Spanish Sevens Circuit. Besides the national women’s competition, the club is looking to the future with big plans. Seven-a-side rugby will be incorporated as a new Olympic sport in the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. With women’s rugby in Spain taking off, and more government support being offered to clubs, it seems the door to serious sporting opportunity is opening.

Club President, Ignacio Da Vila is very pleased at the prospect of adding to Rugby la Vila’s already impressive repertoire. ‘The club is looking forward to this new challenge, and to growing the club in another direction. Maybe the women’s team will be showing our men a thing or two!’ he said.

No previous level of experience is required to join the team, which will train at the La Vila Rugby Stadium. All you need is enthusiasm, a sporty nature and the will to work hard. For those interested in becoming part of the team, please send an email or come past the club (La Vila Rugby Stadium, Carretera del Pantano). The web-site is here.

Another day, another sport

One of the great pleasures of the whole ThisIsSpain project is hearing from people who I have met along the way. It was therefore very exciting to hear how well La Vila Rugby are doing this season. I went to visit them recently and enjoyed a day in the sun watching a great game of rugby. I shut up about my true love (rugby league) and continued to enjoy the match even if the finer nuances were missed! Since then, the club have been in regular contact and I’m pleased to hear of their successes. If you are interested in rugby, please make yourself known to them by email or dropping past their ground.