Felinas Quad Rugby, Spain´s first women´s wheelchair rugby team, scoop a Premio Cisne
When Rugby Union came into existence, it would be hard to believe anyone thought the game would have found so many different variations of the code. However, even as the time passes Rugby is still finding ways to break new ground and Felinas Quad Rugby have now added their own extraordinary story. At the start of October the Felinas found their efforts rewarded at the Cisne Premios, organised by Cisneros Rugby, to honor their work in promoting the game.
Luckily, we were able to sit down with four of the Felinas team (Marinés Cortázar, Mamen Movellán, Rebeca León, Kris Reyes) and talk about how they came to be , the achievements so far and where they are heading.
“I´m delighted to have this recognition of our work” – Marinés Cortázar
The pleasure at having their work respected was clear. “I´m delighted to have this recognition of our work” was Marinés response to picking up the award and Mamen Movellán was keen to stress most of this work has been done without large scale finacial assistance. “This award is recognition of the work we have done so far and how long we have been fighting.”
Rugby has its moments in the sun in Spain but by and large swims under the surface, making attracting players more difficult. So how did these girls all come together to make this happen? Kris tells us that “I was playing in a mixed team ( in the Spain´s wheelchair rugby union competition) and I was excited about the idea to make a women´s team.” Rebeca states that “Two and a half, three years ago, it was a dream to compete together. But we fought hard for it and earned the right.” This isn´t easy, the team informed me that in the mixed gender league they are eight teams and no more than eight females in all the clubs , heralding all the way from Barcelona to Sevilla and everywhere in between.
“It´s a very addictive sport”- Rebeca Léon
Rugby itself is a tough sport, and people might think you have to be mad to play in a wheelchair. So what makes them want to strap in to a wheelchair for the game? For Mamen , it´s a love of sport in general . “For me , I love playing sport. I played basketball, I played tennis, padel and when I learnt about rugby, I wanted to play that too. It´s something different, It´s the intensity.” Now Mamen is a devotee of Rugby and Crossfit. But what about the risk ? “You are very safe” says Mamen, “We are playing in chairs very safe and designed for this sport.”
Those chairs themselves are not cheap, often costing thousands of euros which can limit participation, making the role of Felinas even more important in shining a light on the sport. “Of course hits happen” states Marinés but that is part of the appeal “you need to be in good shape to play wheelchair rugby.” Kris echoes the same thoughts “Yes it´s very addictive and yes you can have a bit of fear if you fall, but these chairs are well prepared and you are in pretty tight so I have no fears for this”.
Felinas Quad Rugby to the future
Although Felinas were here to recieve a reward in the Social Project category, that doesn´t mean they don´t have their eyes on silverware on the pitch too. A fifth place finish in the Women´s Cup in Paris 2024, competing as Spain´s first ever team, shows the ambition. Where do the girls want the sport to go? “We need to grow, more teams and more competition so the world knows” says Kris. For Rebeca,”The real aim is to open the sport and awareness so that more people have the opportunity to take part in the sport.” For Mamen, her eyes on the bigger stage “We want to compete in the biggest international competitions we can.” And finally Marinés echoes Mamen´s desire to be on the international stage but crucially point out that “we are here to open the door for the next generation.”
On the night, the ladies shared the stage with figures such as Serge Blanco but Felinas aren´t looking to the past , they are far too busy writing a whole new chapter for themselves.
To learn more, you can go to Felinas Quad Rugby on Instagram. Photo used with the permission of Felinas Quad Rugby