Las Leonas ready for 'pivotal stage' of development under Régis Sonnes

Spain head coach Régis Sonnes has described his team’s upcoming WXV Global Series Challenger as ‘pivotal’.

In September, Las Leonas will play fixtures against Fiji, Samoa and Brazil at Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground in Hong Kong China.

The three-Test stretch of fixtures will be Sonnes’ second block of fixture in charge of Spain. Appointed after the departure of Juan Marruecos at the conclusion of Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, Las Leonas started life under a new head coach with a Rugby Europe Championship title.

The WXV Global Series Challenger will kick-start a season in which Spain can lock up a Women’s Rugby World Cup 2029 spot. Success at next year’s Rugby Europe Championship will give Sonnes over two years to prepare for the tournament Down Under.

“It’s a pivotal stage in our journey,” Sonnes said. “We’re going to face teams with greater physical power, excellent technique, and a higher level of play than what we’ve encountered so far [at the WXV Global Series Challenger].

“We want to assess where we truly stand: to gauge our physical condition and test our character – our ability to hold firm and impose our style of play on the pitch.

“This is a phase for self-assessment, analysis, and adjustment, always keeping the ultimate goal in sight: qualifying for the World Cup in Australia.

“But we need to focus on the substance – the rugby we play, and the dynamics within the team and on the field – rather than obsessing over the opposition.

“That is what will deliver results. If we fixate solely on the final score, we’ll get nervous and fail to execute our style. If we meet our tactical and strategic objectives on the pitch, the result will follow naturally from the quality of our play.”

In addition to WXV Global Series Challenger matches, Spain will play a crossover fixture with the Springbok Women. The game will take place on Sunday 4 October and will be the first time that Las Leonas will have played in Seville.

Sonnes described the clash with South Africa as his team’s “toughest opponent” over the next 10 weeks.

Fresh from leading his squad at a training camp in Soustons, France, the former Stade Toulousain and CA Brive back-row believes that the identity that he wants Las Leonas to adopt is well on the way.

“We want to play the ‘Spanish way’,” Sonnes said. “Rugby is a team sport, and the great teams in Spanish sports history have always stood out for that quality.

“To me, the Spanish playing identity is defined by positive, highly attacking rugby that seeks out space using intelligence, technique, and speed.

“It is about moving the ball dynamically, leveraging our tactical intelligence to create opportunities, score tries, and win matches. Of course, this includes rising to the physical challenge, but that spirited, dynamic style of play is what defines Spain for me.”