HSBC SVNS MAD: Rugby family values – the Pla legacy for Spanish sevens

A single day of university rugby sparked a long-lasting relationship with the sport for one Spanish family. Bárbara Pla started her journey 20 years ago – followed by younger siblings, Júlia and Pol. 

Bárbara, 40, won 48 caps in 15s, but was most at home in sevens, where she played in the world series as well as the Olympic Games in Rio. They are stages of her life she will never forget.

“We qualified for the 2016 Olympics only one month before and it all went so fast,” she said. “I remember how massive it was winning that repechage, as there was an explosion in the Spanish media, something we weren’t used to. It was a special moment.

“The Spanish Olympic committee booked us to stay in Brazil for a week, and after the last match, we had to return home. Luckily, I was able to stay and watch my brother Pol play, and immerse myself in the Olympic atmosphere.”

Bárbara, Júlia, and Pol have built a reputation in rugby, even though the latter had boyhood dreams of becoming a Barcelona football player. He never took to the pitch at the Camp Nou, but was honoured by the club in 2016.

“After the Rio Olympics, I was invited by the board to come watch a game, and I brought my father,” Pol said. “We are both Barça fans because of my late grandfather. 

“He and my grandfather bought me season tickets when I was younger, and we would go to the games together. But, on that day, I invited him to watch a game. It is one of the best moments of my life.”

Sibling unity

The Pla siblings would become rugby legends not only in their home town of Sant Cugat del Vallès, not far from Barcelona, but also in Spain and across the world. 

Bárbara played from 2004 to 2021. Júlia started playing a couple of years later and retired in 2013, but not before leaving her mark on SVNS, as she scored a try to beat Australia in a third-place play-off in Dubai. Pol is regarded as one of the top talents in the Leones set-up, even if his story began with a bug.

“I was called up for the Safari Sevens in 2015 for my debut, which didn’t go as expected," he explained. "I got sick because of something I ate and missed the whole first day, and it was horrible to watch all the action from the physio’s tent.

"However, I recovered and I was able to lace up my boots and play the second day.”

Enduring pain and overcoming obstacles is something of a Pla family trait, as Bárbara’s first sevens event took her to the limit.

“I played hooker for two straight days, and I remember my body being so sore and tired that even leaning my neck against the window of a train hurt," she said. "But I was happy then, even if the tears rolled down my face.” 

Bárbara made her way through college rugby, and almost instantly found her feet at international level.

“Sevens is the perfect stage for countries like Spain to show themselves and attract new players,” she said. “With qualification to 2016 Olympics, the number of youngsters enrolling went up – that is a clear indication how big it was for us. 

“It’s a spectacular way of playing rugby, one that can easily make anyone fall in love with it. We have to do a better job of promoting it [in Spain] and the HSBC SVNS in Madrid is exactly what we need.” 

From 2007 until 2013, the sisters played side by side. They helped Spain qualify for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2009.

“I wasn’t the most dedicated player before,” Júlia admitted, “but 2009 marked a change for me and the women’s game in Spain. For a long time, we only had only one coach and physio, and that was it. But we kept going.

"We only wanted to play and help push towards a better era.”

In 2012, Spain qualified for what was then the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, but as Bárbara explained, the women’s domestic game in Spain at the time was much more basic.

“We didn’t have a national competition, only a regional tournament, and the best two of each region played against each other in just one weekend in matches played over 20 minutes. It was a different time. Things changed when rugby was included in the Olympics.”

Júlia retired in 2014. Her elder sister also left the game for a while, but decided she had unfinished business. 

“I retired briefly for a couple of reasons. My sister decided to cut ties and move on. I missed every day of being away from it; it was my main passion and I was 100 per cent devoted to it.”

Sevens first

The sisters’ hard work, love of rugby and effort to keep soldiering on inevitably had an impact on 31-year-old Pol, who was watching everything from a fan’s viewpoint.

“Bárbara and Júlia were truly amazing,” he said. “Me and Júlia are very similar, as we love to tackle, run with the ball and play out wide, while Bárbara was an astonishing playmaker. She was magical and could do everything effortlessly. 

“Both were recognised as the best in women’s sevens rugby. People came to me to talk about how incredible Bárbara was and how big a role model she was. They are two of the best players of all time in Spain, and I am grateful to have learned so much from them. They are the reason I gave rugby a shot.”

Now Spain’s record try-scorer in the abbreviated format, Pol explained why he plumped for sevens over the 15-player game. 

“If I went to 15s I would have fewer chances to have the same amount of fun," he explained. "There’s more space and it just aligns more with what I am capable of doing.

"It offers non-stop excitement and demands the absolute max out of you. I can’t turn off or rest, I have to be always ready.

“Thanks to sevens, I travelled the whole world, played against the best, got to know a lot of good people, was able to become a pro player and discover new things.

"It is for me the best way to promote rugby, especially between people who have never played it or that are starting.”

The HSBC SVNS 2024 Grand Final in Madrid will be the first time the Spanish capital has hosted a series event, an historic moment for rugby in the Plas’ homeland.

Family focus

“It is a doorway to new fans and people who are not connected to rugby,” Pol said. “Sevens is easier to understand, and because it’s quicker, it can lock the focus of those fans who don’t know the laws.

"Sevens also pushes for a more festive environment, and that entertainment factor can motivate new fans to come.”

For Bárbara the growth of the Spanish women’s game is positive.

But, she warned: “There’s a long fight ahead. Some years ago, the women’s sevens team only travelled a couple of days before each stage of the SVNS [series], while the men’s squad got to travel one week prior.

"It makes a huge difference in terms of performance and results.”

If Júlia and Bárbara’s roles as players ended seven and 11 years ago respectively, Pol still has many tournaments ahead of him. As he prepares for the amazing SVNS jamboree to arrive in his backyard, Pol considers the legacy his clan will leave.

“To be remembered as a family who dedicated their bodies and souls to rugby. I hope we have made people happy and tried to help everyone. For me, to feel we left our mark not only as players, but as humans, is the most important thing, and I hope we have done exactly that.”

By Francisco Isaac