How the El XV de la ginesta started
The Catalan Rugby Federation (Catalan: Federació Catalana de Rugbi'), created in 1922, was one of the founder members of the Fédération Internationale de Rugby Amateur (FIRA) in 1934. It played its first match in 1923 against the French club team, Toulouse Lalande Olympique. Its first international match as an official national team was in 1934 against Italy. The teams tied, 5–5, in front of a crowd of more than 15,000 in the Camp de Les Corts. One month later Catalonia played France, losing 15–22.
In 1941, after the Spanish Civil War, Spanish dictator Francisco Franco forcibly merged Catalonia's team into the Spanish rugby team. Nowadays some people are trying to reverse this decision, claiming the historical rights as a founder member of the FIRA in 1934.
