Villajoyosa will welcome some of Europe’s leading beach rugby teams this weekend when the European Beach Rugby Series arrives at Central Beach on Saturday, July 4, and Sunday, July 5.
Admission will be free for both days as 15 teams from across Europe compete in one of the continent’s most important summer rugby events.
The tournament will feature ten men’s teams and five women’s teams, with clubs travelling from Spain, France, Italy, Georgia, Ireland and Portugal.
Among the men’s entries are Les Minots of France, Italian sides Wild Porks, The Rockets and Bula Bula, Georgia’s Aragvelebi and Ireland’s Virginia Vipers.
Spain will be represented by Celtibéricos, Costaleños, Dénia Barbarians and hosts Costa Blanca La Vila.
The women’s competition will include Sport Club do Porto of Portugal, France’s Queen Bees and Spanish teams Celtibéricas, Horta Valencia and Costa Blanca La Vila.
Matches will be played under the official Rugby 5 format approved by Rugby Europe, with referees provided by the Valencian Community Rugby Federation.
Villajoyosa is the only Spanish venue included in the 2026 European Beach Rugby Series calendar approved by the European Beach Rugby Association.
The series began in Kortrijk, Belgium, in May and continued in Marseille, Porto and The Hague during June.
Villajoyosa and Lignano in Italy will host tournaments on the same weekend, followed by events in Vienna and Sopot on July 11 and 12. The European final will take place in Magna Graecia, southern Italy, on July 18 and 19.
The European champions will be decided using each team’s three best tournament results across the series.
Villajoyosa staged the European final in July 2025, but this year the decisive event has moved to Italy. The Costa Blanca tournament nevertheless remains a key opportunity for teams to collect valuable championship points.
The event is supported by Villajoyosa Town Council, the Generalitat Valenciana, Alicante Provincial Council, the Valencian Community Rugby Federation and the Spanish Rugby Federation.
With international teams, fast-paced matches and a beachside setting, organisers are expecting a strong crowd at Central Beach for one of the highlights of Villajoyosa’s summer sporting calendar.
