Andorra Hosts Rugby Europe Sevens with Record 11 Women's Teams

Andorra will host the Rugby Europe Sevens Conference 1 this weekend at the Estadi Nacional, drawing nine men's teams and a record 11 women's teams for the continental third-tier event.

The competition runs from Friday to Sunday, with 50 to 60 matches scheduled. Women's qualifying rounds start Friday, followed by women's finals and men's preliminaries on Saturday, and men's finals on Sunday. Organisers anticipate around 400 participants, including players and technical staff, with roughly 380 people on site.

FAR president Albert Calvo detailed the event on Wednesday, highlighting its growth from last year's smaller edition at Ordino's Centre de Tecnificació. He described the shift to the national stadium as moving from "XS mode" to "XL," accommodating the full 20-team format and easing logistics for the larger delegations. Rugby Europe has praised the venue's potential for top-tier Championships events.

Newcomers Greece and Bosnia and Herzegovina debut in the women's and men's draws, respectively, while Israel returns with teams in both categories after missing last year. Enhanced security measures include dedicated access controls for team areas.

The Andorran men's squad, the 'isards', seeks promotion to the Trophy division, where finalists advance automatically. Their roster features Adrià Bonell, Galdric Calvet, Sacha Franklen, Ian and Arnau Granyena, Valentí Hoxha, León Laguerre, Hugo Llata, Julià Pintat, Juan Pujadas, Jan Pujol, Nil Tomé and Unai Xarpell. In Group C, they face Serbia and Israel, with other contenders including relegated Luxembourg—whom Andorra defeated at the Small States Games—a strengthened Bulgaria, Cyprus, Finland, Austria and Slovenia.

Women's frontrunners are Slovakia and Finland, the latter dropping down for financial reasons despite prior higher-division experience. The field includes Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Malta, Estonia, Greece, Finland, Luxembourg, Israel and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Andorrans aim to secure maximum wins and a top-two finish in the men's finals. However, the tournament's future in Andorra hangs in the balance. An initial four-year hosting deal—two years fulfilled—has been shortened, and renewal depends on cost-sharing from Rugby Europe. The FAR covers major expenses, including accommodations and transfers from Barcelona airport, with transport alone accounting for 35% of the budget via up to 25 buses.

Calvo noted talks with Rugby Europe are on hold without financial guarantees, stressing the event's deficit for the federation. He also criticised Andorra Turisme's lack of support, saying they prioritise participant numbers over the 20 nations involved and have rejected aid. "They put the flag and the staff, but expenses fall on the local organiser," he said of Rugby Europe, adding that Andorra Turisme might favour other events like Encamp's Ultra trail. The FAR is considering not bidding for future editions without backing.