Valladolid RAC

Valladolid Rugby Asociación Club is a professional Spanish rugby union club. The club was established in 1986 and currently competes in the División de Honor de Rugby competition, the highest level of Spanish club rugby. The club are based in Valladolid in central Spain. VRAC play in blue and white colours. The team have in the past won both the Spanish League and the Copa del Rey de Rugby. They play at Estadio Pepe Rojo.

VRAC Quesos Entrepinares

Full name	Valladolid Rugby Asociación Club
Founded	1986
Location	Valladolid, Spain
Ground(s)	Estadio Pepe Rojo (Capacity: 5,000)
Chairman	Jorge Calleja "Hollister"
Coach(es)	Diego Merino
League(s)	División de Honor
2023–24	División de Honor, 1st / W
1st kit 2nd kit
Official website
vracrugby.com

Honours

• División de Honor: 13 (record)
  • Champions: 1998–99, 2000–01, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2022–23, 2023–24
• Copa del Rey: 7
  • Champions: 1997–98, 2009–10, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2017–18, 2022–23, 2024–25
• Supercopa de España: 8 (record)
  • Champions: 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019
• Copa Ibérica de Rugby: 8 (record)
  • Champions: 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024

European rugby

Valladolid RAC's first foray into Europe was in the 2001–02 European Challenge Cup. Playing in a pool with London Irish (England), Dax (France) and L'Aquila (Italy), they lost all six games.

The 2003–04 season saw a change in format in the European Challenge Cup. Teams played in a knockout format, over two legs, in each round. First round losing teams then played in a new, third tier, Shield competition. Having lost heavily home and away to England's Newcastle Falcons in Round 1 of the 2003–04 European Challenge Cup, they dropped into the European Shield. Here their performance against Italy's Overmach Parma was better, but nevertheless they again lost home and away.

The 2004–05 season was a close repeat of 2003–04: heavy losses home and away to Italy's Viadana in the Challenge Cup was followed by even heavier defeats at the hands of England's Leeds in the Shield.

As the winners of the 2011–12 División de Honor de Rugby and the championship playoff, Valladolid RAC qualified to play in the 2012–13 European Challenge Cup but turned down the opportunity due to economic factors.^[1] Gernika RT took their place and represented Spain.

As the winners of the 2013–14 División de Honor championship, VRAC qualified to play the Iberian Rugby Cup against CDUL of Lisbon, winning the game and the title.

In 2015/16 season, Valladolid RAC as the champion of the 2014/15 División de Honor championship, represented Spain at the Qualifying Competition of the European Rugby Challenge Cup. In this competition VRAC won two games, against Royal Kituro Rugby Club (Belgium) and Mogliano Rugby (Italy) but lost against Grupo Desportivo Direito (Portugal) and Timișoara Saracens (Romania).

Summary

Season	Played	Won	Drew	Lost	PF	PA	PD
2001–02 Challenge Cup	6	0	0	6	53	307	−254
2003–04 Challenge Cup	2	0	0	2	37	137	−100
2003–04 Shield	2	0	0	2	19	42	−23
2004–05 Challenge Cup	2	0	0	2	10	147	−137
2004–05 Shield	2	0	0	2	11	174	−163
2015/16 European Rugby Challenge Cup Qualifying Competition	4	2	0	2	114	68	46
Summary	18	2	0	16	234	875	−641

Squad 2012–13

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union Santiago Ovejero Prop Argentina Federico Abente Prop Argentina Ángel de la Calle Prop Spain Francisco Blanco Prop Spain Alberto Pastor Prop Spain Steve Barnes Hooker England Pablo Gutiérrez Hooker Spain Haru Nakayama Hooker Spain Fernando de la Calle Hooker Spain Julio Lorenzo Lock Spain Iñigo Ribot Lock Spain Alejandro González Lock Spain Ignacio Duco Lock Spain Álvaro Abril Lock Spain Alejandro López-Francos Flanker Spain Borja Estrada Flanker Spain Pablo Autrán Flanker Spain Adam Newton Flanker England

Player Position Union Diego Merino Flanker Spain Vicente García Flanker Spain Glen Rolls Number 8 New Zealand Juan Carlos Pico Scrum-half Spain Manuel Sevillano Scrum-half Spain Diego Sánchez Fly-half Spain Gareth Griffiths Fly-half England Miguel Merino Fly-half Spain Álvaro Ferrández Fly-half Spain Lisandro Arbizu Fly-half Argentina Alejandro Gutiérrez Centre Spain Sergio Fernández Centre Spain Nacho Müller Centre Spain Rodrigo López Wing Spain Jesús Llanos Wing Spain Alberto Camaleño Wing Spain Marco Lora Wing Spain Javier Ortega Fullback Spain

International honours

• Víctor Acevedo
• Fernando de la Calle
• Aníbal Fernando Bonan
• Benjamín Pardo
• Nacho Müller
• Glen Rolls
• Nacho Molina

Other notable players

• Sgt. Adam Newton (English Armed Services XV, England U18)
• Gareth Griffiths (former player from Bath, international England U18, U19)
• Mike Davis (International New Zealand Sevens)
• Lisandro Arbizu (Player/Coach 2012-2014, Argentina international 1990-2005 Cpt 1992-1999)^[2]

Season to season

Season Tier Division Pos. Notes 1987–88 2 División de Honor B 9th 1988–89 2 División de Honor B 8th 1989–90 2 División de Honor B 2nd 1990–91 2 División de Honor B 1st Promoted 1991–92 1 División de Honor 10th 1992–93 1 División de Honor 10th 1993–94 1 División de Honor 4th 1994–95 1 División de Honor 3rd 1995–96 1 División de Honor 7th 1996–97 1 División de Honor 4th 1997–98 1 División de Honor 4th Cup champion 1998–99 1 División de Honor 1st League champion 1999–00 1 División de Honor 5th 2000–01 1 División de Honor 1st League champion 2001–02 1 División de Honor 5th 2002–03 1 División de Honor 3rd 2003–04 1 División de Honor 3rd 2004–05 1 División de Honor 4th 2005–06 1 División de Honor 6th 2006–07 1 División de Honor 4th 2007–08 1 División de Honor 4th 2008–09 1 División de Honor 4th

Season Tier Division Pos. Notes 2009–10 1 División de Honor 4th Cup champion 2010–11 1 División de Honor 5th 2011–12 1 División de Honor 1st / W League champion 2012–13 1 División de Honor 1st / W League champion 2013–14 1 División de Honor 1st / W League/Cup champion 2014–15 1 División de Honor 1st / W League/Cup champion 2015–16 1 División de Honor 1st / F 2016–17 1 División de Honor 2nd / W League champion 2017–18 1 División de Honor 1st / W League/Cup champion 2018–19 1 División de Honor 2nd / W League champion 2019–20 1 División de Honor 1st League champion 2020–21 1 División de Honor 1st / W League champion 2021–22 1 División de Honor 9th 2022–23 1 División de Honor 1st / W League champion 2023–24 1 División de Honor 1st / W League champion 2024–25 1 División de Honor -

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• 34 seasons in División de Honor

See also

• Rugby union in Spain