Club de Rugby El Salvador is a Spanish rugby union club. The club was established in 1960 and currently competes in the men's División de Honor de Rugby and in the women's División de Honor Femenina de Rugby competitions, the highest levels of Spanish club rugby. The club is based in Valladolid in central Spain, playing their matches at the Estadio Pepe Rojo. The club's colours are black and white.
El Salvador is one of the most successful Spanish rugby union clubs, having won División de Honor in seven times, Copa del Rey in six times and Supercopa de España in five times.
The women team competes on the Liga Iberdrola.
Recent history El Salvador were relegated to the second-tier Primera Division, in 1995/96 season, spending one season in the second-tier Primera División, but immediately returned to the División de Honor after topping the table in the 1996/97 season. That success was followed by the side's winning the División de Honor in the 1997/98, becoming the first newly-promoted team to win the title. The following season led to two more titles: the Ibero Cup and another Copa del Rey, adding to the club's distinguished history.
Two more titles followed in the 1999/2000 and 2001/02 seasons. In 2004/05 and 2005/06 the club finished as runners up in the league, but won the Copa del Rey twice, along with a new Ibero Cup and two Spanish Super Cups.
In the 2003/04 season, CR El Salvador participated in a European competition for the first time, debuting against Harlequins in London, before going out in the second round - a first for a Spanish club - to the Italian team Rovigo.
In the 2006/07 season, they won all three titles at senior level: División de Honor, the Copa del Rey and the Super Cup title.
In the 2007/08 season, it was yet another excellent year for the team, as they won the Division de Honor and the Super Cup title.
In the Amlin Challenge cup in 2010/2011, they won Petrarca Padova rugby in Pepe Rojo stadium (37-16)
Honors Spanish League: 9 1990–91, 1997–98, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2015–16, 2024–25 Copa del Rey: 8 1993, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2016, 2022 Supercopa: 6 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2018 Copa Ibérica: 5 1992, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2016
Season by season SeasonTierDivisionPos.Notes1970–711 División de Honor2nd 1971–721 División de Honor2nd 1972–731 División de Honor3rd 1973–78 DNP 1978–792 Primera Nacional3rd 1979–802 Primera Nacional2nd 1980–812 Primera Nacional3rd 1981–822 Primera Nacional2nd 1982–832 Primera Nacional3rd 1983–842 Primera Nacional6th 1984–852 Primera Nacional1st 1985–862 Primera Nacional2nd↑1986–871 División de Honor8th 1987–881 División de Honor3rd 1988–891 División de Honor5th 1989–901 División de Honor2nd 1990–911 División de Honor1stLeague champion1991–921 División de Honor6th 1992–931 División de Honor7thCup champion1993–941 División de Honor3rd 1994–951 División de Honor6th 1995–961 División de Honor9th↓1996–972 Primera Nacional1st↑1997–981 División de Honor1stLeague champion1998–991 División de Honor5thCup championSeasonTierDivisionPos.Notes1999–001 División de Honor2nd 2000–011 División de Honor7th 2001–021 División de Honor2nd 2002–031 División de Honor1stLeague champion2003–041 División de Honor1stLeague champion2004–051 División de Honor2ndCup champion2005–061 División de Honor2ndCup champion2006–071 División de Honor1stLeague/Cup champion2007–081 División de Honor1stLeague champion2008–091 División de Honor2nd 2009–101 División de Honor1stLeague champion2010–111 División de Honor3rdCup champion2011–121 División de Honor7th 2012–131 División de Honor / 2013–141 División de Honor / 2014–151 División de Honor / 2015–161 División de Honor / League/Cup champion2016-171División de Honor1st / F 2017-181División de Honor2nd / F 2018-191División de Honor1st / F 2019-201División de Honor2nd2020-211División de Honor3rd / SF2021-221División de Honor1st / SFCup champion2022-231División de Honor6th / QF2023-241División de Honor4th / SF2024-251División de Honor-
39 seasons in División de Honor (Last season told 2024-25)
International honours Juan Murré Uale Mai Esera Lauina Joe Mamea Manuel Serrano Jaime Nava Julio Álvarez Pablo Feijoo Carlos Souto Sergio Souto Iván Criado Javier Miranda Salé Ibarra "Toche" César Sempere James Faiva Matthew Bede Smith
Other notable players Sam Katz (England Students International) Gillies Kaka (capped by New Zealand 7s) Jacob Kennedy (signs from Hawke's Bay, capped by New Zealand Under 19) Andy Long (England international) Charlie O'Connell (signs from Canterbury, capped by New Zealand Under 19) Joe McDonnell (New Zealand international) David Palu (Tonga international) Regardt Van Eyk (former player from Mighty Elephants in the Currie Cup) Justin Wilson (former player from Auckland Blues, Hurricanes and Chiefs in Super12/14. Capped by New Zealand Māoris and New Zealand 7s) ●Hansie Graff (signed from SWD Eagles, also played for Bayonne and the Sharks.)
Notable Signings
Sam Katz - England Students national rugby union team whose previous club was Loughborough Students RUFC. Highest scorer of 328 points in the División de Honor for 2014/15 season and 388 points for 2015/16 season. Uale Mai – Manu Samoa and Samoa Sevens international, 2006 IRB International Sevens Player of the Year, signed for 2010–11. Joe McDonnell - New Zealand international signed from Newcastle Falcons as player coach for 2009/10 season. Andy Long - England national rugby union team international signed from Newcastle Falcons as player for 2009/10 season. He signed for Northampton Saints in half of the season.
See also Rugby union in Spain Spanish rugby union players Spanish rugby union competitions
References
External links Official website Spanish Rugby website