# CR El Salvador

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, known as Colina Clinic El Salvador for sponsorship purposes, 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: 8
** 1990–91, 1997–98, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2015–16
* 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

| Season | Tier | Division | Pos. | Notes |
| 1970–71 | 1 | División de Honor | 2nd | |
| 1971–72 | 1 | División de Honor | 2nd | |
| 1972–73 | 1 | División de Honor | 3rd | |
| 1973–78 | | DNP | | |
| 1978–79 | 2 | Primera Nacional | 3rd | |
| 1979–80 | 2 | Primera Nacional | 2nd | |
| 1980–81 | 2 | Primera Nacional | 3rd | |
| 1981–82 | 2 | Primera Nacional | 2nd | |
| 1982–83 | 2 | Primera Nacional | 3rd | |
| 1983–84 | 2 | Primera Nacional | 6th | |
| 1984–85 | 2 | Primera Nacional | 1st | |
| 1985–86 | 2 | Primera Nacional | 2nd | ↑ |
| 1986–87 | 1 | División de Honor | 8th | |
| 1987–88 | 1 | División de Honor | 3rd | |
| 1988–89 | 1 | División de Honor | 5th | |
| 1989–90 | 1 | División de Honor | 2nd | |
| 1990–91 | 1 | División de Honor | 1st | League champion |
| 1991–92 | 1 | División de Honor | 6th | |
| 1992–93 | 1 | División de Honor | 7th | Cup champion |
| 1993–94 | 1 | División de Honor | 3rd | |
| 1994–95 | 1 | División de Honor | 6th | |
| 1995–96 | 1 | División de Honor | 9th | ↓ |
| 1996–97 | 2 | Primera Nacional | 1st | ↑ |
| 1997–98 | 1 | División de Honor | 1st | League champion |
| 1998–99 | 1 | División de Honor | 5th | Cup champion |
| Season | Tier | Division | Pos. | Notes |
| 1999–00 | 1 | División de Honor | 2nd | |
| 2000–01 | 1 | División de Honor | 7th | |
| 2001–02 | 1 | División de Honor | 2nd | |
| 2002–03 | 1 | División de Honor | 1st | League champion |
| 2003–04 | 1 | División de Honor | 1st | League champion |
| 2004–05 | 1 | División de Honor | 2nd | Cup champion |
| 2005–06 | 1 | División de Honor | 2nd | Cup champion |
| 2006–07 | 1 | División de Honor | 1st | League/Cup champion |
| 2007–08 | 1 | División de Honor | 1st | League champion |
| 2008–09 | 1 | División de Honor | 2nd | |
| 2009–10 | 1 | División de Honor | 1st | League champion |
| 2010–11 | 1 | División de Honor | 3rd | Cup champion |
| 2011–12 | 1 | División de Honor | 7th | |
| 2012–13 | 1 | División de Honor | 4th / SF | |
| 2013–14 | 1 | División de Honor | 2nd / F | |
| 2014–15 | 1 | División de Honor | 5th / SF | |
| 2015–16 | 1 | División de Honor | 2nd / W | League/Cup champion |
| 2016-17 | 1 | División de Honor | 1st / F | |
| 2017-18 | 1 | División de Honor | 2nd / F | |
| 2018-19 | 1 | División de Honor | 1st / F | |
| 2019-20 | 1 | División de Honor | 2nd | |
| 2020-21 | 1 | División de Honor | 3rd / SF | |
| 2021-22 | 1 | División de Honor | 1st / SF | Cup champion |
| 2022-23 | 1 | División de Honor | 6th / QF | |
| 2023-24 | 1 | División de Honor | 4th / SF | |
| 2024-25 | 1 | División 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.