“Not being part of that 12 is frustrating, once again” Amaia Erbina on Spanish Women´s Rugby after El Salvador truimph in Iberdrola SuperCup

Spanish Women´s Rugby searches for a place in post RWC2025 landscape

As post RWC2025 reality starts to set in for Women´s Rugby, El Salvador continue to be the dominate force in the Spanish game. Sadly, despite the good work of Spanish Women´s Rugby and their promotion, World Rugby have followed a predictable pattern of closing the door to progress with Spain outside the exclusive club of 12, largely consisting of established names from the men´s game and the mirage of the American market. Still, Women´s Rugby continues and we caught up with El Salvador coach Michael Walker Fitton and player Amaia Erbina to get their thoughts after El Salvador´s Iberdrola SuperCup win. 

 

“They wanted to play” – Michael Walker Fitton on Iberdrola SuperCup win

 

Before speaking with Amaia Erbina, Michael Walker Fitton commended the Women who had been away with Spain and made it clear that despite being offered the chance to sit this game out, “they wanted to play.” On the performance, Michael stated that “in attack we had some greats moments and what we did with the ball but without the ball I wasn´t that impressed but we are in pre-season.” On the World Rugby decision to create a 12 team closed shop Michael believed that “it is a little closed off and I think the level of Spain is probably better than the other five teams they are grouped with.” For Michael , despite being confident of a new generation of Women coming through, what Spain need is “to play games and games of a high quality against Japan, Ireland, Scotland , Wales.”

“You first need World Rugby to help” – Amaia Erbina

 

Echoing those thoughts is capped Spanish 7´s and 15´s international Amaia Erbina who has signed this season for El Salvador. For Amaia, “what Spain struggles with is not having good competion in the four years leading up to the World Cup, I think that is the biggest problem.” Sadly, with World Rugby creating a system that will do the exact opposite of what Amaia feels is needed, “it´s always frustrating for us but hopefully in the future we will be part of that group.” Still, Amaia remains optimistic that from the time she starting playing the game is in a better position but “we still need more. We need more girls who are high performance athletes so the visibility is hugely important.”

 

Players going abroad is “Completely Understandable”

 

The challenge of getting girls to stay in Rugby when there is a vast competition for athletes, with many sports not putting artifical restrictions on how high nations can climb, isn´t lost on Amaia. With more Spanish players of both sexes going abroad and Rugby President Hansen also concerned with this in his recent interview, does Amaia think this is the only way forward? “It´s frustrating because having a good competition is long term. Obviously most of the players, me included as I´ve also played overseas, want the best level possible. So it is frustrating for the country but completely understandable too.” El Salvador followed up their win in the Iberdrola SuperCup with a win in the first week of the Liga Iberdrola .

 

The full interview is available to listen below. All photos used are taken by Jorge Gris and used with the express permission of El Salvador.