Andorra Women's Rugby Debuts in European Championship Against Croatia
Les Grandalles face Croatia in historic first official match this Saturday, relying on speed against physical opponents, while under-12 team heads.
Key Points
- Andorra's Les Grandalles play first official European 15s match vs Croatia in Sinj on Saturday at 2pm, roster mostly VPC players.
- Coach Fidalgo notes Croatia's physicality but Andorra's edge in speed; Croatia lost 5-55 to Georgia recently.
- Player Carla Micas calls debut a milestone, pushes for more women's fixtures and visibility.
- FAR under-12 team, including 3 girls, heads to Monaco tournament vs 24 teams like New Zealand and India.
Andorra's women's rugby team, Les Grandalles, is set to make history this Saturday with their first official match in the European 15s Championship's Women's Conference, facing Croatia at 2pm in Sinj. The squad, coached by Jordi Fidalgo and Gerard Giménez—former VPC Andorra president—will rely on a 23-player roster mostly from VPC club players, supplemented by those competing abroad. Captain Noèlia Pauls is absent.
The lineup includes Alba Albarellos, Gabriela Catalina Anca, Marta Areny, Miren Barciela, Mariona Barcons, Lea Bonell, Chiara Cerqueda, Noa Díaz, Daniela Ferreira, Anna Fornsubirà, Mireia Galiano, Maria Ángeles García, Frida Jiménez, Carla Micas, Lea Mora, Cèlia Palumbo, Zoe Sánchez, Noa Sánchez, Patrícia Sucarrat, Èlia Taulats, Andrea Teixeira, Xènia Torres and Dúnia Urrea.
Fidalgo acknowledged limited scouting on Croatia, based mainly on footage from a previous game against Bulgaria, and highlighted the opponents' physical strength. He emphasized Andorra's advantages in speed and willingness to run with the ball. Croatia, coached by Petra Druskovic, suffered a 5-55 defeat to Georgia in February.
Player Carla Micas expressed strong enthusiasm, noting the team travels united and determined to compete and win. She described the debut as a milestone for women's rugby in Andorra, underscoring the need for more fixtures to match the men's game. While no home international is confirmed at Estadi Nacional this year, the FAR is pursuing opponents for September or October. Micas also stressed the importance of promoting women's sports to build visibility.
The debut follows a friendly against Bulgaria two years ago, which Andorra won 119-0 at home.
Meanwhile, the FAR's under-12 team travels to Monaco's Sainte Dévote Tournament—organized by Princess Charlene's foundation—on Friday and Saturday at Estadi Lluís II. They face at least seven matches against 24 teams, including New Zealand and India. The 12-player group includes three girls for the first time.
Selector David Ximénez described intense year-round preparations for the key event. Noa Ximénez voiced excitement after narrowly missing last year's edition, while debutant Samuel Molné said the team had trained hard to secure victories. Micas praised the young girls' participation as vital for the sport's future.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: