Andorra national rugby union team
Encyclopedia
The Andorra national rugby union
team, nicknamed Els Isards (which is a Pyrenean Chamois
) represent Andorra
in international rugby union competitions. They are currently ranked 66th out of 95 Rugby playing nations by the International Rugby Board
(IRB). They play most of their home games in Andorra la Vella
, the country's capital, though have had some matches in Foix
, which is in France.
They compete in the European Nations Cup
, and are currently in the second division. As well as playing numerous friendlies they have also taken part in the qualification stages of the Rugby World Cup, competing in every tournament since 1995.
Andorra first tried to qualify for the Rugby World Cup in 1995. They competed in the preliminary round in the west group of the European qualification. They defeated Denmark, but lost to Switzerland, and were knocked out.
Andorra also attempted to qualify for the 1999 Rugby World Cup. Andorra started off in Pool 3 of Round 1, and won all four of their fixtures, finishing at the top of the final standings to advance through to Round 2. However they were then knocked out of qualifying after Round 2 coming last in a five team group.
They competed in Pool B of Round 1 in attempting to qualify for the 2003 World Cup, but did not advance to the next stage coming third in a six team group.
The 2007 tournament saw many more fixtures and gained the small nation some greater publicity by playing in the first match of the tournament, beating Norway 76–3. They won a 2 leg match, came third in the ensuing five team group thus qualifying for a further 2 leg playoff, victory in which led to a further five team group in which they were last. Competing with the more populous Moldova, Netherlands, Spain and Poland, having beaten Norway, Hungary, Slovenia and Sweden certainly brought Andorra to the attention of more rugby followers, all in spite of a small population of just 70,000.
.
As well as a men's 15 aside team, the men have competed in the European Sevens competition since 2005. In 2005 they won promotion to the next division and in both 2006 and 2007 made the finals of the competition.
Also Andorra have a women's set up. As of yet they have only played sevens, competing in 2006 and 2007.
Youth rugby in Andorra is less developed and has to date only consisted of training camps.
Matches against individual teams can be summarised as follows
Xavier Vilasetru –
Iosif Txelidze –
Xavier Soteras –
Roger Font –
Joan Fite –
Toni Carmona –
Peter Ambor –
David Kirikashvili –
Jonathan Garcia –
Josep Magallon –
Sergi Abreu –
Paul Alieu –
Roger Fite –
Jeremy Berrier –
Marc Abelló –
David Martinez –
Oscar Cabanes –
Franck Mitjana –
Alexandro Consuegra –
Emmanuel Sarti –
Flavien Sayo –
Alex Ballesta
Preliminary Squad for 6 December 2008
Forwards
David Martinez, Roger Font, Xavier Vilasetru, Joan Castellon, Franck Mitjana, Oscar Cabanes
Ritchie Ortega, Marcos Cellone, Iosif Txelidze, Paul Alieu, David Kirikashvili, Toni Carmona, Peter Ambor, Waki Tchatokey, Fabian Tonino
Backs
Jonathan Garcia, Eduard Vergara, Sergi Lucas, Roger Fite, Marc Gispert, Flavien Sayo, Maxim Taurinya, Anthony Gaulin, Benjami Fajol, Roberto Gimenez, Emmanuel Sarti-Gardes, Gerard Soteras
Pool 7
0–74 Romania
5–52 Poland
2nd Round
Pool F
10–63 Portugal
5–31 Georgia
Pool D
24–36 Bulgaria
0–60 Russia
7–43 Italy
2nd Round (Russia swapped with winners of Pool C from first round)
Pool D
19–19 Bulgaria
0–49 Italy
0–61 Portugal
Group Games
17–12 Belgium
10–21 Spain
14–33 Portugal
Knock Out (5th to 8th)
12–10 Malta
33–26 Italy
Group Games
26–0 Denmark
20–5 Switzerland
0–24 Spain
12–29 Italy
Knock Out (5th to 8th)
17–0 Belgium
29–20 Switzerland
Group Games
71–0 Israel
14–12 Romania
22–12 Ukraine
0–33 France
Knock Out (5th to 8th)
5–10 Georgia II
0–45 Scotland
Group Games
0–35 Spain
27–5 Belgium
43–0 Monaco
5–29 France
Knock Out (5th to 8th)
5–0 Armenia
26–21 Netherlands
Group Games
0–29 Spain
24–5 Belgium
w/o Slovakia
7–28 France
36–7 Invitation
Knock Out (5th to 8th)
26–7 Bosnia and Herzogovina
17–15 Croatia
Group Games
19–21 Netherlands
26–10 Israel
24–14 Portugal
40–0 Luxembourg
Knock Out (1st to 4th)
12–17 Croatia
17–5 Portugal
Group Games
24–0 Croatia
68–0 Norway
54–5 Azerbaijan
0–26 Portugal
Knock Out (1st to 4th)
12–19 Spain
26–7 Belgium
Group Games
12–42 Romania
0–52 Spain
12–14 Croatia
7–56 Russia
7–19 Portugal
Knock Out (9th to 12th)
19–24 Lithuania
0–21 Ukraine
Group Games
41–0 Belgium
56–0 Norway
7–21 Portugal
39–14 Serbia
Knock Out (1st to 4th)
10–21 Italy
5–29 Germany
Group Games
5–31 Ukraine
40–7 Hungary
41–0 Slovakia
12–14 Italy
Knock Out (5th to 8th)
21–5 Greece
47–12 Hungary
Group Games
0–36 Russia
5–26 Romania
14–38 Poland
7–28 Germany
12–33 France
Knock Out (9th to 12th)
0–49 Ukraine
17–26 Lithuania
This appeared to be a good opportunity to reach the last four. Failing that then a 5th place final with Croatia seemed likely.
Group Games
12–17 Belgium
32–7 Slovakia
17–21 Germany
38–7 Serbia
Knock Out (5th to 8th)
14–7 Czech Republic
5th Place
12–28 Croatia
Andorra competed in stage six at Porto Carras (Greece) on 21 and 22 June. They were in group 1 with Luxembourg, Israel, Bosnia-Herzogovina and IRB experienced Russia. Group 2 contained Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus and IRB experienced Spain.
Second place in the group was very achievable with a showdown with Spain likely in the last four.
Group Games
42–10 Corfu (standing in for Israel)
35–5 Bosnia-Herzegovina
5–31 Russia
47–0 Luxembourg
Knock Out (1st to 4th)
0–19 Spain
3rd Place
0–28 Italy
The Slovakia record includes one "w/o". It is counted as a win with no effect on points scored.
Paul Alieu – David Kirikashvili – Toni Carmona – Peter Ambor – Gerard Soteras – Jonathan Garcia – Esteve Perez – Marc Abello – Renaud Calvel – Roger Fite – Marc Gispert – Josep Magallon – Sergi Lucas – Miquel Barbolla – Kim Jordan – Emmanuel Sarti – Benjami Taurinya – Flavien Sayo – Maxim Taurinya – Gerard Gimenez
Group Games
17–0 Poland
0–7 Hungary
29–0 Austria
15–0 Malta
Knock Out (1st to 4th)
22–0 Bulgaria
0–7 Romania
Group Games
7–29 Germany
22–5 Bulgaria
7–12 Lithuania
19–5 Poland
15–7 Norway
Knock Out (7th to 8th)
0–5 Romania
0–29 Norway
Group Games (Pool A)
41–0 Luxembourg
5–17 Moldova
10–0 Norway
14–5 Switzerland
5–0 Malta
Knock Out (1st to 4th)
0–50 Germany
Knock Out (3rd place)
7–0 Czech Republic
THIS MEANT QUALIFICATION FOR THE FINALS
Group Games (Pool B)
7–36 Sweden
0–56 England
7–45 Germany
Knock Out (9th to 16th)
0–17 Portugal
(13th to 16th)
34–0 Israel
(13th Place (Shield Final))
10–5 Romania
Group Games
Belgium 0–5
Romania 7–14
Malta 0–19
Bulgaria 12–10
Austria 0–22
9th to 12th
Croatia 19–0
Bowl Final (for 9th)
Bulgaria 7–0
Iolanda Gispert Sancho –
Marilia Ferreira Gomes –
Carla Ferreira Gomes –
Sílvia Cuaresma –
Sandra Guerrero Soria –
Magali Paradelle –
Tània Albino Ferreira –
Mariona Vila Torrents –
Anna Casals Casas –
Beatriz Candela Callejero –
Gisela Escolà i Marsal –
Olga Arrú Solana –
Juana Gutierrez Lopez –
Judith Riba Mateu –
Cèlia Ferreira Gomes –
Carol Dañobeitia –
Lorena Ledesma Torres –
Sònia Llopis Carreras –
Isabel Tejero Cano –
Sílvia Arrú Solana
A training camp (with Spain and Portugal) took place in 2001/2002. A similar camp took place at Tarazones from 7 to 12 April 2006 with 23 players and 3 coaches attending. These are both for Under 17s.
A camp is planned for 14 to 19 March 2008 in Spain, with Spain and Portugal. This too is for under 17s.
Andorra took part in the 1996 Junior World Cup (winning group C) and also took part in the pre-classification stages in 2000.
Andorra currently have a "school of rugby" and over 100 individuals are currently signed up
The 13 years group saw Andorra with 15 players, Pamiers with 20 and Couserans with 30.
The final standings were Couseran I (26pts), Andorra (12pts), Pamiers (9pts), Couseran II (3pts)
The 15years group saw Andorra with 15 players, Pamiers with 16 and Couserans with 26.
The final standings were Couseran I (25pts), Pamiers (11pts), Andorra (7pts), Couseran II (2pts)
1993 Hosts 52nd FIRA conference
20 to 22 January 2009 Two delegates sent to IRB/FIRA-AER Educator Course at Rome
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team, nicknamed Els Isards (which is a Pyrenean Chamois
Chamois
The chamois, Rupicapra rupicapra, is a goat-antelope species native to mountains in Europe, including the Carpathian Mountains of Romania, the European Alps, the Tatra Mountains, the Balkans, parts of Turkey, and the Caucasus. The chamois has also been introduced to the South Island of New Zealand...
) represent Andorra
Andorra
Andorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of...
in international rugby union competitions. They are currently ranked 66th out of 95 Rugby playing nations by the International Rugby Board
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
(IRB). They play most of their home games in Andorra la Vella
Andorra la Vella
Andorra la Vella is the capital of the Co-principality of Andorra, and is located high in the east Pyrenees between France and Spain. It is also the name of the parish that surrounds the capital....
, the country's capital, though have had some matches in Foix
Foix
Foix is a commune, the capital of the Ariège department in southwestern France. It is the least populous administrative centre of a department in all of France, although it is only very slightly smaller than Privas...
, which is in France.
They compete in the European Nations Cup
European Nations Cup (rugby union)
The European Nations Cup is the European Championship for tier 2 and tier 3 rugby union nations. The Championship is split into 7 divisions with 5 or 6 teams in each. The divisions play on a two-year cycle with the teams playing each other both home and away...
, and are currently in the second division. As well as playing numerous friendlies they have also taken part in the qualification stages of the Rugby World Cup, competing in every tournament since 1995.
History
Andorra played their first rugby international in 1987 against Luxembourg. Andorra won the match 24–3.Andorra first tried to qualify for the Rugby World Cup in 1995. They competed in the preliminary round in the west group of the European qualification. They defeated Denmark, but lost to Switzerland, and were knocked out.
Andorra also attempted to qualify for the 1999 Rugby World Cup. Andorra started off in Pool 3 of Round 1, and won all four of their fixtures, finishing at the top of the final standings to advance through to Round 2. However they were then knocked out of qualifying after Round 2 coming last in a five team group.
They competed in Pool B of Round 1 in attempting to qualify for the 2003 World Cup, but did not advance to the next stage coming third in a six team group.
The 2007 tournament saw many more fixtures and gained the small nation some greater publicity by playing in the first match of the tournament, beating Norway 76–3. They won a 2 leg match, came third in the ensuing five team group thus qualifying for a further 2 leg playoff, victory in which led to a further five team group in which they were last. Competing with the more populous Moldova, Netherlands, Spain and Poland, having beaten Norway, Hungary, Slovenia and Sweden certainly brought Andorra to the attention of more rugby followers, all in spite of a small population of just 70,000.
Popularity
The popularity of football in Andorra has been on the decline due to a poor record at home and away. This has left room for Andorran rugby to rise out of the shadows. Mainly affected by the fanatical popularity of rugby in southern France, Els Isards continue to impress on the international stage. This has led to the rapid increase in the number of registered players in Andorra. Many are now suggesting that rugby in Andorra has grown to such an extent that it has now become the tiny nation's national sportNational sport
A national sport or national pastime is a sport or game that is considered to be an intrinsic part of the culture of a nation. Some sports are de facto national sports, as baseball is in the U.S., while others are de jure as lacrosse and ice hockey are in Canada.-De jure national sports:-De facto...
.
As well as a men's 15 aside team, the men have competed in the European Sevens competition since 2005. In 2005 they won promotion to the next division and in both 2006 and 2007 made the finals of the competition.
Also Andorra have a women's set up. As of yet they have only played sevens, competing in 2006 and 2007.
Youth rugby in Andorra is less developed and has to date only consisted of training camps.
Analysis
Andorra have played friendlies, FIRA competitions and World Cup Qualifiers. The full results list including details of unplayed games can be found below. The various game types can be summarised as follows – note that unfulfilled and defaulted games are NOT included in the analysis although they do count towards the game count in the full list. Also if a game has been both a World Cup and FIRA game then it is only recorded here in the World Cup figures.| Match Type | P | W | D | L | % | F | A | D | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friendly | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 33 | 41 | 65 | −24 | |
| Regional | 43 | 16 | 1 | 26 | 38 | 618 | 897 | −279 | |
| World Cup | 31 | 14 | 0 | 17 | 45 | 651 | 736 | −85 | |
| All Games | 80 | 32 | 1 | 47 | 41 | 1310 | 1698 | −388 |
Matches against individual teams can be summarised as follows
| Nation | P | W | D | L | % | F | A | D | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norway | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 99 | 12 | 87 | |
| Austria | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 77 | 15 | 62 | |
| Monaco | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 43 | 16 | 27 | |
| Armenia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 36 | 10 | 26 | |
| Bosnia Herzogovina | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 23 | 13 | 10 | |
| Israel | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 19 | 13 | 6 | |
| Denmark | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 11 | 5 | 6 | |
| Hungary | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 75 | 116 | 58 | 58 | There is also one unfulfilled fixture |
| Yugoslavia | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 75 | 56 | 43 | 13 | There is also one unfulfilled fixture |
| Luxembourg | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 64 | 124 | 66 | 58 | |
| Slovenia | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 50 | 85 | 70 | 15 | |
| Lithuania | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50 | 64 | 50 | 14 | |
| Malta | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50 | 41 | 47 | −6 | |
| Sweden | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 50 | 67 | 79 | −12 | There is also one win by default |
| Bulgaria | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 33 | 95 | 95 | 0 | |
| Czech Republic | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 33 | 26 | 104 | −78 | |
| Croatia | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 41 | 62 | −21 | |
| Tunisia | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 48 | 80 | −32 | |
| Latvia | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 30 | 54 | −24 | There is also one unfulfilled fixture |
| Moldova | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 23 | −7 | There is also one unfulfilled fixture and one defeat by default |
| Serbia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 32 | −25 | |
| Morocco | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 19 | 63 | −44 | |
| Germany | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 56 | −45 | |
| Switzerland | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 48 | 94 | −46 | There is also one win by default |
| Portugal | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 32 | 115 | −83 | |
| Poland | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 43 | 154 | −111 | |
| Spain | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 129 | −112 | |
| Netherlands | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 140 | −124 | |
| Total | 80 | 32 | 1 | 47 | 41 | 1310 | 1698 | −388 | |
Full Match List
Defaulted games (3), unfulfilled games (5) and non-Internationals (3) do not count towards the match tally.| Sequence | Date | Opponents | F | A | Venue | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 July 1987 | Luxembourg (1) | 24 | 3 | A Luxembourg | FIRA C | First International for Andorra |
| 2 | 8 July 1987 | Luxembourg (2) | 12 | 3 | H Andorra La Vella | Friendly | First Home match |
| 3 | 28 May 1988 | Bulgaria (1) | 6 | 30 | A Sofia | FIRA C | First defeat |
| 4 | 1 July 1988 | Bulgaria (2) | 7 | 21 | H Andorra | Friendly | |
| 5 | 8 April 1989 | Tunisia (1) | 7 | 19 | H Andorra La Vella | Friendly | First game against an African team |
| 6 | 23 April 1989 | Luxembourg (3) | 8 | 10 | A Cessange | FIRA C | |
| 7 | 28 May 1989 | Bulgaria (3) | 7 | 21 | H Andorra La Vella | FIRA C | |
| 8 | 1 July 1989 | Luxembourg (4) | 6 | 10 | A | Friendly | |
| 9 | 8 April 1990 | Tunisia (2) | 6 | 12 | H Andorra La Vella | Friendly | 9th consecutive defeat |
| 10 | 29 April 1990 | Luxembourg (5) | 26 | 6 | H Andorra La Vella | FIRA C | |
| 11 | 26 May 1990 | Yugoslavia (1) | 9 | 3 | A Split | FIRA C | |
| 12 | 9 March 1991 | Morocco (1) | 9 | 25 | H Andorra La Vella | FIRA C | |
| 13 | 23 March 1991 | Portugal (1) | 15 | 33 | A Coimbra | FIRA C | |
| 14 | 4 May 1991 | Tunisia (3) | 16 | 14 | H Andorra La Vella | FIRA C | |
| 15 | 9 November 1991 | Tunisia (4) | 19 | 35 | A Tunis | FIRA C | First match in Africa |
| 16 | 28 March 1992 | Portugal (2) | 6 | 29 | H Andorra La Vella | FIRA C | |
| 17 | 25 April 1992 | Morocco (2) | 10 | 38 | A Casablanca | FIRA C | |
| 18 | 1 October 1992 | Denmark (1) | 3 | 0 | H | Friendly | Some sources list this as the WC game but it appears to be separate |
| 19 | 27 October 1992 | Denmark (2) | 8 | 5 | H Andorra La Vella | WC 1995 | First World Cup match |
| 20 | 31 October 1992 | Switzerland (1) | 0 | 14 | H Andorra La Vella | WC 1995 | First game without scoring |
| 21 | 28 November 1992 | Netherlands (1) | 6 | 40 | A Hertogenbosch | FIRA B1 | |
| 22 | 17 April 1993 | Poland (1) | 6 | 19 | H Andorra La Vella | FIRA B1 | |
| 23 | 15 May 1993 | Czech Republic (1) | 6 | 3 | H Andorra La Vella | FIRA B1 | |
| 24 | 11 September 1993 | Sweden (1) | 6 | 25 | A Nassjo | FIRA B1 | |
| 25 | 6 November 1993 | Poland (2) | 10 | 30 | A Sochaczew | FIRA B1 | |
| 26 | 26 March 1994 | Netherlands (2) | 10 | 49 | H Andorra La Vella | FIRA B1 | |
| 27 | 12 April 1994 | Czech Republic (2) | 0 | 56 | A Prague | FIRA B1 | |
| Def | 15 May 1994 | Sweden | w/o | H Default | FIRA B1 | Won by default | |
| Non Int | 25 March 1995 | Catalunya | 6 | 66 | A St Boi | Friendly – non-International | |
| 28 | 22 April 1995 | Croatia (1) | 0 | 16 | H Andorra La Vella | FIRA B3 | |
| Def | 7 May 1995 | Switzerland | w/o | A Default | FIRA B3 | Won by default | |
| 29 | 13 May 1995 | Luxembourg (6) | 18 | 18 | A Cessange | FIRA B3 | First draw |
| 30 | 26 November 1995 | Slovenia (1) | 28 | 23 | H Andorra La Vella | FIRA B3 | |
| 31 | 24 March 1996 | Yugoslavia (2) | 30 | 12 | A Ursag | FIRA B2 | |
| 32 | 20 April 1996 | Bulgaria (4) | 13 | 8 | H Andorra La Vella | FIRA B2 | |
| 33 | 19 October 1996 | Lithuania (1) | 54 | 24 | H Andorra La Vella | WC 1999 | Pool 3 Round A |
| 34 | 2 November 1996 | Sweden (2) | 21 | 20 | H Andorra La Velle | WC 1999 | Pool 3 Round A |
| 35 | 15 March 1997 | Luxembourg (7) | 30 | 16 | A Cessange | WC 1999 | Pool 3 Round A |
| 36 | 14 June 1997 | Hungary (1) | 34 | 5 | A Budapest | WC 1999 | Pool 3 Round A, 7th consecutive win and 8th unbeaten |
| 37 | 13 September 1997 | Czech Republic (3) | 20 | 45 | A Tatra Smichov Stadium | WC 1999 | Pool 3 Round B |
| 38 | 4 October 1997 | Germany (1) | 11 | 56 | H Andorra La Velle | WC 1999 | Pool 3 Round B |
| 39 | 8 November 1997 | Spain (1) | 3 | 62 | H Andorra La Velle | WC 1999 | Pool 3 Round B, biggest defeat |
| 40 | 30 May 1998 | Portugal (3) | 11 | 53 | A Lousa | WC 1999 | Pool 3 Round B |
| 41 | 26 September 1998 | Switzerland (2) | 14 | 15 | H Andorra La Velle | FIRA D | |
| 42 | 31 October 1998 | Bulgaria (5) | 3 | 5 | A | FIRA D | |
| 43 | 27 February 1999 | Monaco (1) | 29 | 6 | H Andorra La Velle | FIRA D | |
| 44 | 12 June 1999 | Israel (1) | 19 | 13 | A | FIRA D | |
| 45 | 30 October 1999 | Slovenia (2) | 3 | 16 | A | FIRA D1 | |
| 46 | 5 February 2000 | Monaco (2) | 14 | 10 | A | FIRA D1 | |
| 47 | 26 February 2000 | Hungary (2) | 32 | 10 | H Andorra La Velle | FIRA D1 | |
| 48 | 13 May 2000 | Austria (1) | 21 | 12 | H Andorra La Velle | FIRA D1 | |
| 49 | 14 October 2000 | Yugoslavia (3) | 12 | 9 | H Andorra La Velle | WC 2003 | EURO Round A |
| 50 | 28 October 2000 | Hungary (3) | 21 | 27 | A Szazhalombatta | WC 2003 | EURO Round A |
| 51 | 5 May 2001 | Switzerland (3) | 25 | 33 | H Andorra La Velle | WC 2003 | EURO Round A |
| 52 | 12 May 2001 | Bulgaria (6) | 59 | 10 | H Andorra La Velle | WC 2003 | EURO Round A |
| 53 | 26 May 2001 | Bosnia Herzogovina (1) | 23 | 13 | H Andorra La Velle | WC 2003 | EURO Round A |
| 54 | 13 October 2001 | Austria (2) | 56 | 3 | H Andorra La Velle | FIRA B | Pool A |
| 55 | 11 November 2001 | Slovenia (3) | 16 | 26 | A Ljubljana | FIRA B | Pool A |
| Non Int | 27 March 2002 | Northwestern University (USA) | 40 | 5 | H Andorra La Velle | Touring team | |
| 56 | 5 May 2002 | Yugoslavia (4) | 5 | 19 | H Andorra La Velle | FIRA B | Pool A |
| Def | 1 June 2002 | Moldova | w/o | A Chisnau | FIRA B | Pool A – Lost by default | |
| Unf | 22 September 2002 | Moldova | Probably FIRA B, this game is shown as a fixture | ||||
| Unf | 26 October 2002 | Hungary | Probably FIRA B, this game is shown as a fixture | ||||
| Unf | 3 November 2002 | Yugoslavia | Probably FIRA B, this game is shown as a fixture | ||||
| Unf | 2 March 2003 | Latvia | Probably FIRA B, this game is shown as a fixture | ||||
| 57 | 4 September 2004 | Norway (1) | 76 | 3 | H Andorra La Velle | WC 2007 | Round 1 – first game of the tournament, biggest victory |
| 58 | 18 September 2004 | Norway (2) | 23 | 9 | A Bergen | WC 2007 | Round 1 |
| 59 | 23 October 2004 | Hungary (4) | 29 | 16 | A Vasas | WC 2007 | Round 2 Pool A |
| 60 | 20 November 2004 | Croatia (2) | 7 | 18 | A Stadium Metalac, Sisak | WC 2007 | Round 2 Pool A |
| 61 | 12 February 2005 | Spain (2) | 14 | 36 | H Andorra La Velle | WC 2007 | Round 2 Pool A |
| 62 | 30 April 2005 | Slovenia (4) | 38 | 5 | H Andorra La Velle | WC 2007 | Round 2 Pool A |
| 63 | 28 May 2005 | Sweden (3) | 30 | 20 | H Andorra La Velle | WC 2007 | Round 2 playoff |
| 64 | 4 June 2005 | Sweden (4) | 10 | 14 | A Vanersborg | WC 2007 | Round 2 playoff |
| 65 | 29 October 2005 | Poland (3) | 14 | 18 | A | WC 2007 | Round 3 Pool A |
| 66 | 26 November 2005 | Netherlands (3) | 0 | 51 | A Amsterdam | WC 2007 | Round 3 Pool A |
| 67 | 11 March 2006 | Spain (3) | 0 | 31 | H Andorra La Vella | WC 2007 | Round 3 Pool A |
| 68 | 6 May 2006 | Moldova (1) | 16 | 23 | H Andorra La Vella | WC 2007 | Round 3 Pool A |
| 69 | 7 October 2006 | Poland (4) | 8 | 54 | A | ENC 2B | |
| 70 | 4 November 2006 | Latvia (1) | 21 | 34 | H Andorra La Vella | ENC 2B | 7th consecutive defeat |
| 71 | 7 April 2007 | Croatia (3) | 24 | 13 | H Andorra La Vella | ENC 2B | |
| 72 | 12 May 2007 | Malta (1) | 24 | 31 | A Valetta | ENC 2B | |
| 73 | 29 September 2007 | Poland (5) | 5 | 33 | H Andorra La Vella | ENC 2B | |
| 74 | 24 November 2007 | Latvia (2) | 9 | 20 | A Riga | ENC 2B | |
| 75 | 19 April 2008 | Croatia (4) | 10 | 15 | A Split | ENC 2B | |
| 76 | 17 May 2008 | Malta (2) | 17 | 16 | H Andorra la Vella | ENC 2B | |
| 77 | 8 November 2008 | Lithuania (2) | 10 | 26 | H Andorra la Vella | ENC 3A & WC 2011 | |
| 78 | 6 December 2008 | Serbia (1) | 7 | 32 | A Semderevo | ENC 3A & WC 2011 | A squad of only 18 went to this game |
| 79 | 14 March 2009 | Switzerland (4) | 9 | 32 | A Avusy, Geneva | ENC 3A & WC 2011 | |
| 80 | 21 March 2009 | Armenia (1) | 36 | 10 | H Andorra la Vella | ENC 3A & WC 2011 | |
| Unknown | Lithuania (3) | A | ENC 3A & WC 2011 | ||||
| Unknown | Armenia (2) | A | ENC 3A & WC 2011 | ||||
| Unknown | Switzerland (5) | H | ENC 3A & WC 2011 | ||||
| Unknown | Serbia (2) | H | ENC 3A & WC 2011 | ||||
Current Squad
Listed end 2007 by FARXavier Vilasetru –
Iosif Txelidze –
Xavier Soteras –
Roger Font –
Joan Fite –
Toni Carmona –
Peter Ambor –
David Kirikashvili –
Jonathan Garcia –
Josep Magallon –
Sergi Abreu –
Paul Alieu –
Roger Fite –
Jeremy Berrier –
Marc Abelló –
David Martinez –
Oscar Cabanes –
Franck Mitjana –
Alexandro Consuegra –
Emmanuel Sarti –
Flavien Sayo –
Alex Ballesta
Preliminary Squad for 6 December 2008
Forwards
David Martinez, Roger Font, Xavier Vilasetru, Joan Castellon, Franck Mitjana, Oscar Cabanes
Ritchie Ortega, Marcos Cellone, Iosif Txelidze, Paul Alieu, David Kirikashvili, Toni Carmona, Peter Ambor, Waki Tchatokey, Fabian Tonino
Backs
Jonathan Garcia, Eduard Vergara, Sergi Lucas, Roger Fite, Marc Gispert, Flavien Sayo, Maxim Taurinya, Anthony Gaulin, Benjami Fajol, Roberto Gimenez, Emmanuel Sarti-Gardes, Gerard Soteras
Results Men's 7s
To date Andorra (men) have played in fourteen International Sevens Tournaments (WC Qualifier 1996 (1 round), WC Qualifier 2000 (1 round), FIRA-AER 2003 Qualifiers (1 round), FIRA-AER 2004 Qualifiers (2 rounds), FIRA-AER 2005 Qualifiers (2 rounds), FIRA-AER 2006 Qualifiers (2 rounds) and Finals, FIRA-AER 2007 Qualifiers (2 rounds) and Finals, FIRA-AER 2008 Qualifiers). In FIRA-AER, each year a number of tournaments take place across Europe and each nation takes part in two tournaments to decide on a final 12. In 2007 Andorra were joint 12th with Croatia but qualified on points difference. The FIRA-AER qualifiers have seen placings of 5th (5 times), 4th (1 time) and 3rd (2 times). Both appearances in the finals have seen 12th (last) but notable teams have failed to qualify.1 to 2 June 1996 at Lisbon, Portugal (RWC Qualifier)
1st RoundPool 7
0–74 Romania
5–52 Poland
2nd Round
Pool F
10–63 Portugal
5–31 Georgia
1 to 2 July 2000 at Madrid, Spain (RWC Qualifier)
1st RoundPool D
24–36 Bulgaria
0–60 Russia
7–43 Italy
2nd Round (Russia swapped with winners of Pool C from first round)
Pool D
19–19 Bulgaria
0–49 Italy
0–61 Portugal
14 June 2003 at Madrid, Spain (FIRA-AER Qualifiers)
Came fifthGroup Games
17–12 Belgium
10–21 Spain
14–33 Portugal
Knock Out (5th to 8th)
12–10 Malta
33–26 Italy
21 to 22 May 2004 at Lunel, France (FIRA-AER Qualifiers)
Came fifthGroup Games
26–0 Denmark
20–5 Switzerland
0–24 Spain
12–29 Italy
Knock Out (5th to 8th)
17–0 Belgium
29–20 Switzerland
12 to 13 June 2004 at Tbilisi, Georgia (FIRA-AER Qualifiers)
Came eighthGroup Games
71–0 Israel
14–12 Romania
22–12 Ukraine
0–33 France
Knock Out (5th to 8th)
5–10 Georgia II
0–45 Scotland
25 to 26 June 2005 at Lunel, France (FIRA-AER Qualifiers)
Came Fifth (Plate winners)Group Games
0–35 Spain
27–5 Belgium
43–0 Monaco
5–29 France
Knock Out (5th to 8th)
5–0 Armenia
26–21 Netherlands
2 to 3 July 2005 at Andorra (FIRA-AER Qualifiers)
Came Fifth (Plate winners)Group Games
0–29 Spain
24–5 Belgium
w/o Slovakia
7–28 France
36–7 Invitation
Knock Out (5th to 8th)
26–7 Bosnia and Herzogovina
17–15 Croatia
27 to 28 May 2006 at Amsterdam, Netherlands (FIRA-AER Qualifiers)
Came ThirdGroup Games
19–21 Netherlands
26–10 Israel
24–14 Portugal
40–0 Luxembourg
Knock Out (1st to 4th)
12–17 Croatia
17–5 Portugal
9 to 10 June 2006 at Madrid, Spain (FIRA-AER Qualifiers)
Came ThirdGroup Games
24–0 Croatia
68–0 Norway
54–5 Azerbaijan
0–26 Portugal
Knock Out (1st to 4th)
12–19 Spain
26–7 Belgium
15 to 16 July 2006 at Moscow, Russia (FIRA-AER Finals)
Came TwelfthGroup Games
12–42 Romania
0–52 Spain
12–14 Croatia
7–56 Russia
7–19 Portugal
Knock Out (9th to 12th)
19–24 Lithuania
0–21 Ukraine
19 to 20 May 2007 at Amsterdam, Netherlands (FIRA-AER Qualifiers)
Came FourthGroup Games
41–0 Belgium
56–0 Norway
7–21 Portugal
39–14 Serbia
Knock Out (1st to 4th)
10–21 Italy
5–29 Germany
26 to 27 May 2007 at Croatia (FIRA-AER Qualifiers)
Came Fifth (plate winners)Group Games
5–31 Ukraine
40–7 Hungary
41–0 Slovakia
12–14 Italy
Knock Out (5th to 8th)
21–5 Greece
47–12 Hungary
7 to 8 July 2007 at Moscow, Russia (FIRA-AER Finals)
Came TwelfthGroup Games
0–36 Russia
5–26 Romania
14–38 Poland
7–28 Germany
12–33 France
Knock Out (9th to 12th)
0–49 Ukraine
17–26 Lithuania
14 June to 15 June 2008 at Ostrava, Czech Republic (FIRA-AER Qualifiers)
Andorra will competed in stage five at Ostrava (Czech Republic) on 14 June and 15 June as 13th seeds. They were in group 2 with Belgium, Germany, Serbia and Slovakia. Group 1 contained Switzerland, Croatia, Czech Republic and IRB circuit experienced Spain and Portugal.This appeared to be a good opportunity to reach the last four. Failing that then a 5th place final with Croatia seemed likely.
Group Games
12–17 Belgium
32–7 Slovakia
17–21 Germany
38–7 Serbia
Knock Out (5th to 8th)
14–7 Czech Republic
5th Place
12–28 Croatia
21 and 22 June 2008 at Porto Carras, Greece (FIRA-AER Qualifiers)
Came fourthAndorra competed in stage six at Porto Carras (Greece) on 21 and 22 June. They were in group 1 with Luxembourg, Israel, Bosnia-Herzogovina and IRB experienced Russia. Group 2 contained Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus and IRB experienced Spain.
Second place in the group was very achievable with a showdown with Spain likely in the last four.
Group Games
42–10 Corfu (standing in for Israel)
35–5 Bosnia-Herzegovina
5–31 Russia
47–0 Luxembourg
Knock Out (1st to 4th)
0–19 Spain
3rd Place
0–28 Italy
12 and 13 July 2008 at Hanover, Germany (FIRA-AER Finals if qualified)
Andorra did not qualify – they came 17th in the rankings with only 12 teams making it. If Scotland, England and France (all pre-qualified for Dubai) are included, that gives Andorra 20th place in Europe23 and 24 May 2009 at Athens, Greece (FIRA-AER qualifiers)
Originally it was planned that Andorra would play in tournament round two at Athens, 23 and 24 May 2009. They withdrew (reason unknown) and were replaced by Cyprus.30 and 31 May 2009 at Split, Croatia (FIRA-AER qualifiers)
Originally it was planned that Andorra would play in tournament round three at Split, 30 and 31 May 2009. They withdrew (reason unknown) and were replaced by Cyprus.Nation Analysis
| Nation | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Diff. | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norway | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 124 | 0 | 124 | 100 |
| Hungary | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 87 | 19 | 68 | 100 |
| Israel | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 97 | 10 | 87 | 100 |
| Luxembourg | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 87 | 0 | 87 | 100 |
| Slovakia | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 73 | 7 | 66 | 100 |
| Serbia | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 77 | 21 | 56 | 100 |
| Bosnia Herzogovina | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 61 | 12 | 49 | 100 |
| Azerbaijan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 5 | 49 | 100 |
| Monaco | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 0 | 43 | 100 |
| Corfu | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 10 | 32 | 100 |
| Invitation | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 7 | 29 | 100 |
| Denmark | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 26 | 100 |
| Switzerland | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 25 | 24 | 100 |
| Greece | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 5 | 16 | 100 |
| Czech Republic | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 100 |
| Armenia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 100 |
| Malta | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 100 |
| Belgium | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 164 | 46 | 118 | 86 |
| Netherlands | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 45 | 42 | 3 | 50 |
| Croatia | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 77 | 74 | 3 | 40 |
| Bulgaria | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 43 | 55 | −12 | 25 |
| Ukraine | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 27 | 113 | −86 | 25 |
| Romania | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 31 | 154 | −123 | 25 |
| Italy | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 74 | 210 | −136 | 14 |
| Portugal | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 79 | 242 | −163 | 25 |
| Georgia II | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 10 | −5 | 0 |
| Lithuania | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 36 | 50 | −14 | 0 |
| Georgia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 31 | −26 | 0 |
| Scotland | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 45 | −45 | 0 |
| Germany | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 29 | 78 | −49 | 0 |
| Poland | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 90 | −71 | 0 |
| France | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 24 | 123 | −99 | 0 |
| Russia | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 183 | −171 | 0 |
| Spain | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 22 | 199 | −177 | 0 |
| TOTALS | 90 | 40 | 1 | 49 | 1600 | 1883 | −283 | 45 |
The Slovakia record includes one "w/o". It is counted as a win with no effect on points scored.
Current Squad
The following 20 man squad was announced on 29 May 2008 for the WCQ tournaments.Paul Alieu – David Kirikashvili – Toni Carmona – Peter Ambor – Gerard Soteras – Jonathan Garcia – Esteve Perez – Marc Abello – Renaud Calvel – Roger Fite – Marc Gispert – Josep Magallon – Sergi Lucas – Miquel Barbolla – Kim Jordan – Emmanuel Sarti – Benjami Taurinya – Flavien Sayo – Maxim Taurinya – Gerard Gimenez
25 to 27 May 2006 at Limoges, France (FIRA-AER Division B)
Came Second and promotedGroup Games
17–0 Poland
0–7 Hungary
29–0 Austria
15–0 Malta
Knock Out (1st to 4th)
22–0 Bulgaria
0–7 Romania
26 to 27 May 2007 at Zagreb, Croatia (FIRA-AER Division A)
Came 8th and should maintain statusGroup Games
7–29 Germany
22–5 Bulgaria
7–12 Lithuania
19–5 Poland
15–7 Norway
Knock Out (7th to 8th)
0–5 Romania
0–29 Norway
30 May to 1 June 2008 at Belgium (FIRA-AER WCQ Stage 2)
Came thirdGroup Games (Pool A)
41–0 Luxembourg
5–17 Moldova
10–0 Norway
14–5 Switzerland
5–0 Malta
Knock Out (1st to 4th)
0–50 Germany
Knock Out (3rd place)
7–0 Czech Republic
THIS MEANT QUALIFICATION FOR THE FINALS
14 June to 15 June 2008 at Limoges, France (FIRA-AER WCQ Finals)
Came 13th (Shield winners)Group Games (Pool B)
7–36 Sweden
0–56 England
7–45 Germany
Knock Out (9th to 16th)
0–17 Portugal
(13th to 16th)
34–0 Israel
(13th Place (Shield Final))
10–5 Romania
4 and 5 July 2009 at Visé, Belgium (FIRA-AER)
Andorra were in Group B, with Romania, Bulgaria, Malta, Belgium, Austria. Group A consisted of Finland, Israel, Czech Republic, Latvia, Croatia, Belgium B.Group Games
Belgium 0–5
Romania 7–14
Malta 0–19
Bulgaria 12–10
Austria 0–22
9th to 12th
Croatia 19–0
Bowl Final (for 9th)
Bulgaria 7–0
Nation Analysis (excludes Belgium 2009)
| Nation | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Diff. | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luxembourg | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 41 | 100 |
| Bulgaria | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 5 | 39 | 100 |
| Israel | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 34 | 100 |
| Poland | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 5 | 31 | 100 |
| Austria | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 29 | 100 |
| Malta | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 20 | 100 |
| Switzerland | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 5 | 9 | 100 |
| Czech Republic | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 100 |
| Norway | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 36 | −11 | 67 |
| Romania | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 17 | −7 | 33 |
| Lithuania | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 12 | −5 | 0 |
| Hungary | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | −7 | 0 |
| Moldova | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 17 | −12 | 0 |
| Portugal | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17 | −17 | 0 |
| Sweden | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 36 | −29 | 0 |
| England | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 56 | −56 | 0 |
| Germany | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 124 | −110 | 0 |
| TOTALS | 26 | 14 | 0 | 12 | 293 | 337 | −44 | 54 |
Current Players
Myriam García Ramón –Iolanda Gispert Sancho –
Marilia Ferreira Gomes –
Carla Ferreira Gomes –
Sílvia Cuaresma –
Sandra Guerrero Soria –
Magali Paradelle –
Tània Albino Ferreira –
Mariona Vila Torrents –
Anna Casals Casas –
Beatriz Candela Callejero –
Gisela Escolà i Marsal –
Olga Arrú Solana –
Juana Gutierrez Lopez –
Judith Riba Mateu –
Cèlia Ferreira Gomes –
Carol Dañobeitia –
Lorena Ledesma Torres –
Sònia Llopis Carreras –
Isabel Tejero Cano –
Sílvia Arrú Solana
Youth Rugby
There are only limited records for Andorran youth rugby.A training camp (with Spain and Portugal) took place in 2001/2002. A similar camp took place at Tarazones from 7 to 12 April 2006 with 23 players and 3 coaches attending. These are both for Under 17s.
A camp is planned for 14 to 19 March 2008 in Spain, with Spain and Portugal. This too is for under 17s.
Andorra took part in the 1996 Junior World Cup (winning group C) and also took part in the pre-classification stages in 2000.
Andorra currently have a "school of rugby" and over 100 individuals are currently signed up
Groupama Tournament
March 2009.The 13 years group saw Andorra with 15 players, Pamiers with 20 and Couserans with 30.
The final standings were Couseran I (26pts), Andorra (12pts), Pamiers (9pts), Couseran II (3pts)
The 15years group saw Andorra with 15 players, Pamiers with 16 and Couserans with 26.
The final standings were Couseran I (25pts), Pamiers (11pts), Andorra (7pts), Couseran II (2pts)
Veterans
Andorra is currently locating veterans – they must be Andorran, over 35 and not playing currently. If there are enough then they will look to participate in relevant competitionsOff Field
Not counting youth training camps (which are mentioned in that section) and hosting tournaments, Andorra also endeavours to be involved in non-playing activities.1993 Hosts 52nd FIRA conference
20 to 22 January 2009 Two delegates sent to IRB/FIRA-AER Educator Course at Rome
Sources
- IRB
- ITV
- FIRA-AER
- Websites of unions mentioned
- Scrum.com
- Rugbyinternational.net
External links
- Federació Andorrana de Rugby – Official Site
- http://worldcuprugby.blog.co.uk/ – Andorran Rugby Fan Site
- Andorra on IRB.com