Gibraltar Barbarians Rugby Club

Last updated

Gibraltar Barbarians Rugby Union Football Club
Full nameGibraltar Barbarians Rugby Union Football Club
UnionGibraltar Rugby Football Union (GRFU)
Nickname(s)Gibraltar Rugby
Founded1945
Region Cadiz, Spain
Ground(s)Pueblo Nuevo de Guadiaro (Capacity: 100)
League(s)Primera Division Regional
2011-20121st
Kit left arm redcut.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body redslashstrips.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm redcut.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks long.svg
Team kit

The Gibraltar Barbarians Rugby Football Club (GRFC) is a Rugby union club from Gibraltar and the surrounding Campo in Spain, who play in the Andalucian League as Gibraltar Barbarians RFC. They play their home games in the town of Guadiaro near Sotogrande in the Cadiz province of Spain. They currently play in the 1 Division National of the Federacion Andaluza de Rugby (FAR). In 2010, Campo Gibraltar is now a Gibraltar-based team and its name has been changed to Gibraltar Barbarians RFC.

Contents

History

Gibraltar Rugby Football Club was established immediately after the Second World War. After the repatriation of displaced Gibraltarians locals who had learnt to play rugby either at English schools or whilst being in the forces started to play the resident teams from the Army, Navy and RAF in a pitch in neighbouring Spain (given the lack of grass pitches in Gibraltar). Initially the military sides were dominant but by the 1960s the Latin flair which became a trade mark of Gibraltar's style of rugby became evident and GRFC became the dominant force in the area. A local league consisting of GRFC, Army, Navy and RAF was set up in the mid-1960s which added a more structured and competitive framework within which to play.

The closure of the land frontier between Gibraltar and Spain in 1968 saw local rugby diminish in popularity but tag Rugby ensured that it did not entirely disappear. In 1985 the land frontier re-opened and with it the local league once again became an important part of Gibraltar's weekly sporting calendar with games being played in Spain on grass pitches mostly located within 15 minutes of Gibraltar. GRFC prospered within the local league and since 1985 with the exception of three years when the Duke of Wellington Regiment were posted to Gibraltar the GRFC won the league year after year. Games against Spanish sides during the 1980s were played on a friendly basis primarily against sides from Seville and Madrid. Spanish rugby grew in popularity and by 1990 the GRFC began to struggle against premier league sides but enjoyed very competitive games against First Division regional teams in Andalusia.

The reduction in military personnel in 1991/1992 and the positive approach by the Andalusian Rugby Federation that uniquely kept politics out of sport meant that it became clear that the GFRC future was playing within the Andalusian League and the 1992/93 season saw GRFC fully integrated into the Second Division of Andalusia. Players from forces sides joined the GRFC and by 1994 the GFRC were at their strongest historically. In that same year the GRFC were promoted to the First Division almost winning it in the first year. Throughout this period the GRFC toured regularly entering tournaments in Spain and Portugal with considerable success both at 15s and 7s. The highlight was winning the Benidorm 7s tournament Club section in 1996. Ireland won the national section.

By 2000, the retirement of a crop of players at the same time led to GRFC dropping to the Second Division where they stayed until 2004/05 when they were once again promoted. In their first year in the First Division they finished third but the failure to produce a youth side meant that they were relegated to the Second Division.

Season Tier LeaguePlace
1992-93 [1] 4 Andalusian 2nd División 1st Gr. South
1993-94 [2] 4 Andalusian 2nd División 1st Gr. South
1994-95 [3] 4 Andalusian 2nd División unknown
1995-96 [4] 4 Andalusian 2nd División 1st Gr. South (promoted)
1996-97 [5] 3 Andalusian League 2nd Gr. A
1997-98 [6] 3 Andalusian League 2nd Gr. A
1998-99 [7] 3 Andalusian League 4th Gr. A (relegated)
1999-2000 [8] 5 [lower-alpha 1] Andalusian 2nd División 4th Gr. B
2000-01 [9] 5 Andalusian 2nd División 3rd Gr. Est
2001-02Didn't participated
2002-03 [10] 5 Andalusian 2nd División 2nd Gr. West
2003-04 [11] 5 Andalusian 2nd División 2nd
2004-05 [12] 5 Andalusian 2nd División 1st (promoted)
2005-06 [13] 4 Andalusian League 4th (relegated) [lower-alpha 2]
2006-07 [14] 5 Andalusian 2nd División 1st (promoted)
Season Tier LeaguePlace
2007-08 [15] 4 Andalusian League 3rd
2008-09 [16] 4 Andalusian League 3rd
2009-10 [17] 4 Andalusian League unknown
2010-11 [18] 4 Andalusian League 3rd
2011-12 [19] 4 Andalusian League 1st
2012-13 [20] 3 [lower-alpha 3] Andalusian League 1st
2013-14 [21] 3 Andalusian League 2nd
2014-15 [22] 3 Andalusian League unknown
2015-16 [23] 3 Andalusian League unknown
2016-17 [24] 3 Andalusian League unknown
2017-18 [25] Only young teams
2018-19 [26] Only young teams
2019-20 [27] Only young teams
2020-21on goin
  1. 1ra Nacional (tier 3) was created between Div. Honor B (tier 2) and regional leagues became tier 4.
  2. GBRC wes relegated at the end of the season cause they didn't accomplish the requirement of having a young team.
  3. 1ra Nacional (tier 3) was eliminated between Div. Honor B (tier 2) and regional leagues became tier 3.

Promotion into the First Division

During the 2006-2007 season the club played in Group A of the Andalucian Regional League 2, they finished top of the league winning 7 out of 8 games in the process and then went on to beat local rivals Marbella 3-0 in a playoff final on 15 April for promotion back to Regional League 1. The GRFC organised a youth section of the club to ensure they gained their rightful place in the First Division.

TeamGames PlayedGames WonGames DrawnGames LostPoints ForPoints AgainstPoints
Campo Gibraltar87012076614
CR Atletico Portuense86023059212
Marbella RC83141011297
CR Malaga8215952635
CR Ciudad San Roque 898107512090

Rugby in the Primera Division Regional

Since their promotion into the First Division, Gibraltar have been one of the most consistent teams in their league, maintaining a position in the top half of the table. They finished third behind Malaga and San Jeronimo in the 2009/2010 season.

Youth Rugby

To maintain their position within the First Division in Andalucia, the GBRFC organised an Under 19s team to be entered into the league. The team was known as the GRFC Colts. The Andalucian Rugby Federation changed the age groups for the 2010/2011 season meaning that the Under 19s would become Under 20s. The GBRFC entered both an Under 18s and 20s team into the Andalucian leagues. The Under 18s would be known as the Gibraltar CG Ice Barbarians and the Under 20s would be known as the Gibraltar CepsaGib Barbarians.

2013/2014 season

The Barbarians kicked off the 2013/2014 season with a 53-18 home win over long-standing rivals, San Jeronimo of Seville.

See also

Related Research Articles

Rugby union in Spain

Rugby union is a growing team sport in Spain. As of 2019, there were 37,241 registered rugby union players in Spain, playing for 332 clubs in various divisions. The sport's governing body in Spain, the Spanish Rugby Federation, was founded in 1923. It joined the International Rugby Board in 1988, and is also a member of Rugby Europe.

The Divisiones Regionales de Fútbol in the Community of Andalusia, are organized by the Federación Andaluza de Fútbol:

Rugby union in Gibraltar

Rugby union is a popular sport since its introduction by British military personnel in the 19th Century.

The Divisiones Regionales de Fútbol in the Basque Country are ultimately overseen by the Basque Football Federation which operates Group 4 of the Tercera División RFEF, the fifth tier of the Spanish football league system divided among each of the country's autonomous regions. However, unlike most of the regions, the leagues in the sixth tier and below are organised by three separate federations, corresponding to the provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa. The other region with this arrangement is the Canary Islands which has two provincial forks to its amateur setup, while Andalusia and the Balearic Islands have two and three parallel divisions respectively under the same umbrella.

The 2009–10 Tercera División was the fourth tier of football in Spain. Play started on 29 August 2009 and ended on 20 June 2010 with the promotion play-off finals.

Counties 1 Southern South is a level 7 league in the Rugby Football Union South West Division, the rugby union governing body for South West England, part of the Rugby Football Union. When league rugby first began in 1987 it was a single league known as Southern Counties but since 1996 the division was split into two regional leagues - Southern Counties North and Southern Counties South. Counties 1 Southern South currently sits at the seventh tier of club rugby union in England and primarily features teams based in Dorset and Wiltshire.

Dorset & Wilts 1 North is an English rugby union league, forming part of the South West Division, for clubs primarily based in Wiltshire, sitting at tier 8 of the English rugby union system. Originally consisting of one league, Dorset & Wilts 1 split into north and south regional divisions in 2004. It had even had teams based in Berkshire participating until 2001, at which time they left to join the Buckinghamshire & Oxon leagues.

San Fernando CD Association football club

San Fernando Club Deportivo Isleño is a Spanish football team based in San Fernando, Cádiz, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded in 2009, it plays in Primera División RFEF – Group 1, holding home matches at Estadio Bahía Sur, with a capacity of 8,000 seats.

Tercera Federación Football league

Tercera Federación, previously known as Tercera División RFEF, is the fifth tier of the Spanish football league system. It is below the Primera División, the Segunda División, and the semi-professional divisions Primera Federación and Segunda Federación. It was founded in 1929 as the third tier, and dropped down to the fourth and fifth tiers in 1977 and 2021, respectively.

Royal Madrid Football Federation

The Royal Madrid Football Federation is the governing body of the sport of football in the Community of Madrid, Spain. Its headquarters are in the city of Madrid.

Royal Andalusian Football Federation

The Royal Andalusian Football Federation is the football association responsible for all competitions of any form of football developed in Andalusia. It is integrated into the Royal Spanish Football Federation and its headquarters are located in Seville and has offices in the capitals of the provinces.

The 2012–13 Tercera División was the fourth tier of football in Spain. Play started on 24 August 2012 and the season ended on 30 June 2013 with the promotion play-off finals.

Dorset & Wilts 1 South is an English Rugby Union league, forming part of the South West Division, for clubs primarily based in Dorset, sitting at tier 8 of the English rugby union system. Originally a single league, Dorset & Wilts 1 split into north and south regional divisions in 2004. Teams based in Berkshire participated until 2001 when they left to join the Buckinghamshire & Oxon leagues.

Manuel 'Manolo' Herrero Galaso is a Spanish former footballer who played as a midfielder, and is the current manager of UD Melilla.

The 2011–12 Tercera División was the fourth tier of football in Spain. Play started on 19 August 2011 and the season ended on 24 June 2012 with the promotion play-off finals.

Somerset Rugby Football Union Rugby union governing body in England

The Somerset County Rugby Football Union (SCRFU) is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the county of Somerset in England. The union is the constituent body of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for Somerset. The SCRFU administers and organises rugby union clubs and competitions in the Somerset including the county rugby representative teams.

Alhambra Nievas Rugby player

Alhambra Nievas González is a former Spain women's rugby union international and a current rugby union referee. Nievas refereed the women's final at the 2016 Summer Olympics. In 2016 she also served as an assistant referee at a men's international between Tonga and the United States. This saw her become the first woman to officiate in a men's rugby union international. In 2017 Nievas refereed a Rugby Europe Conference match between Finland and Norway. This saw her become the first woman to referee a men's rugby union international in Europe. In 2016 Nievas, along with Rasta Rasivhenge, was jointly named World Rugby Referee of the Year. She is the first women to win the award. She was previously nominated for the award in 2015.

Somerset 1 is an English rugby union league which sits at the ninth level of league rugby union in England involving teams based in the county of Somerset as well as some teams based in Bristol. 1st, 2nd and even 3rd XV sides can participate in the division as long as they are not from the same club.

Somerset 3 South is an English rugby union league which sits at the eleven level of league rugby union in England alongside its counterpart Somerset 3 North. When the division was founded in 1987 it was a single league known as Somerset 3, but since 2006 it has been split into two regional divisions.

The Campeonato Regional Sur, sometimes known as the Copa de Andalucía, was an annual association football competition for clubs based in the Andalusia region of Spain between 1915 and 1940, organised by the Southern Football Federation.

References

  1. Federación Andaluza de Rugby (1993). Memoria institucional 1992-93 (PDF). Andalucía. pp. 9, 10.
  2. Federación Andaluza de Rugby (1994). Memoria institucional 1993-94 (PDF). Andalucía. pp. 11, 13.
  3. Federación Andaluza de Rugby (1995). Memoria institucional 1994-95 (PDF). Andalucía.
  4. Federación Andaluza de Rugby (1996). Memoria institucional 1995-96 (PDF). Andalucía. p. 9.
  5. Federación Andaluza de Rugby (1997). Memoria institucional 1996-97 (PDF). Andalucía. p. 12.
  6. Federación Andaluza de Rugby (1998). Memoria institucional 1997-98 (PDF). p. 14.
  7. Federación Andaluza de Rugby (1999). Memoria institucional 1998-99 (PDF). Andalucía. p. 13.
  8. Federación Andaluza de Rugby (2000). Memoria institucional 1999-2000 (PDF). Andalucía. p. 13.
  9. Federación Andaluza de Rugby (2001). Memoria institucional 2000-01 (PDF). Andalucía. p. 13.
  10. Federación Andaluza de Rugby (2003). Memoria institucional 2002-03 (PDF). Andalucía. p. 14.
  11. Federación Andaluza de Rugby (2004). Memoria institucional 2003-04 (PDF). Andalucía. pp. 15, 17.
  12. Federación Andaluza de Rugby (2005). Memoria institucional 2004-05 (PDF). Andalucía. pp. 19, 21.
  13. Federación Andaluza de Rugby (2006). Memoria institucional 2005-06 (PDF). Andalucía. p. 13.
  14. Federación Andaluza de Rugby (2007). Memoria institucional 2006-07 (PDF). Andalucía: FAR. p. 13.
  15. Federación Andaluza de Rugby (2008). Memoria institucional 2007-08 (PDF). Andalucía. p. 16.
  16. Federación Andaluza de Rugby (2009). Memoria institucional 2008-09 (PDF). Andalucía. p. 17.
  17. Federación Andaluza de Rugby (2010). Memoria institucional 2009-10 (PDF). Andalucía. p. 13.
  18. Federación Andaluza de Rugby (2011). Memoria institucional 2010-11 (PDF). Andalucía.
  19. Federación Andaluza de Rugby (2012). Memoria institucional 2011-12 (PDF). Andalucía. p. 13.
  20. Federación Andaluza de Rugby (2013). Memoria institucional 2012-13 (PDF). Andalucía. p. 13.
  21. Federación Andaluza de Rugby (2014). Memoria institucional 2013-14 (PDF). Andalucía. p. 13.
  22. Federación Andaluza de Rugby (2015). Memoria institucional 2014-15 (PDF). Andalucía.
  23. Federación Andaluza de Rugby (2016). Memoria institucional 2015-16 (PDF). Andalucía.
  24. Federación Andaluza de Rugby (2017). Memoria institucional 2016-17 (PDF). Andalucía.
  25. Federación Andaluza de Rugby (2018). Memoria institucional 2017-18 (PDF). Andalucía.
  26. Federación Andaluza de Rugby (2019). Memoria institucional 2018-19 (PDF). Andalucía.
  27. Federación Andaluza de Rugby (2020). Memoria institucional 2019-20 (PDF). Andalucía.