How To Join us?
Welcome to the club! Here are a few facts and figures about Madrid Lions R.F.C. which will be valuable to new members and some current ones!
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1. How do I join?
We’d be delighted to welcome you to the club. You can come down to meet us at our local pub/club house: The Beer Temple, located at Calle de Almansa 85, 28040 Madrid, any Thursday night from 7:30 pm onwards.
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The joining fee and subsequent annual subscriptions are both 25€ which is intended to cover the club’s administration costs such as phone calls, posters, newsletters, etc. Rather than levy more substantial subscription fees, we pay as we go! See below for information on the required affiliation forms.
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2. Player insurance
It is important to understand that in Spain, in order to play rugby you MUST be insured specifically for this sport. Your national healthcare policy will not cover you, and if you believe your private insurance does, you must provide specific evidence of this (i.e. some form of written document containing the words rugby and Spain).
Remember, if you are a student, the E111 is NOT valid for sporting injuries and without insurance you could face a costly medical bill.
The club can purchase player insurance through MAPFRE insurance company. The cost was 105€ last season. Club policy is that all members must be insured in order to play or train with us.
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3. Matches and Training
We usually have a game on Saturdays (very occasionally on Sundays).
There is a standard match fee of 5€ per player for all games, and any beer and food costs (e.g. for visiting opposition) is collected in addition according to the circumstance (usually a further 5€). Note that the hire of a pitch costs upwards of 150€ every game. Please help the club administration by paying your dues without waiting to be asked.
While we do not require that our members be available to play every game, we do consider a players confirmation to play on any given match day as a commitment to the club and to his fellow teammates. If you say you can play, you must turn up. In the rare case of a no show, a fine will be enforced. You have been warned!
We are training temporarly every Tuesday, at Campo de Rugby Las Leonas facilities, from 20:15 to 22:00, Calle Arte Hiperrealista, 28051 Madrid (Metro: Valdecarros Linea 1 and Ensanche Vallecas Buses: 142,145 & N9), and hope to return soon to our "Home Pitch" in Hortaleza.
For those weekends during the season when there is no match, there is most likely some mountin trekking and BBQ after!
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4. Perks and discounts
So youve paid your joining fee and filled out the forms; now, you ask, what are the perks of being a Lion? If you are new to Madrid then our extensive knowledge of places to go out eating, drinking, dancing etc. in Madrid will be invaluable to you. Plus you get a Lions discount at our adopted home, THE BEER TEMPLE. There are special beer prices for Lions members, namely 4.50€ per pint of lager or other brews, 5.00€ for a Guinness. You will receive a membership card (for which photo required) on joining the club, please remember to care it with you to the bar. But it is only after you’ve experienced a full blown Lions tercer tiempo that you’ll understand what makes playing for this club so worthwhile.
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5. Annual Tour
One of the most fundamental aspects of the Madrid Lions R.F.C. is its annual tour.
This normally takes place around April (and is still being talked about the following April) and could take place anywhere from Lisbon to Budapest. The tours get bigger and better every year and are now one of the most important and anticipated dates in the Lions calendar. Back in the early days of the club, any time the team travelled outside the M30, Madrid’s inner ring road, the official Lions tie had to be worn, as such a journey more than qualified as a tour. It was, back then, a way for the ex-pats to discover Spain’s rich geography by playing teams from the four corners of the peninsula. The success of the tours has meant that we have been able to be a little more ambitious in our destinations in recent seasons, but the basic aim of meeting and playing new teams from new places remains. A theme is picked every year (and strictly enforced) meaning that you may find yourself strolling along the banks of the Danube dressed in a fetching sailor outfit, or on the beach in La Coruña sporting a poncho and sombrero (other clothes optional). Wherever we end up going we always have a tough game, great hospitality and never fail to leave a lasting impression on our hosts and the rest of the indigenous population.
Start saving now. You won’t want to miss it.
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6. Dress Code
A number of annual events require attending members to follow a particular dress code called out when announced, e.g. white shirt and tie for the Xmas Annual Dinner. At the Captains discretion, some distinctive team mark may have to be worn for a match such as a tie, a Lions polo shirt, etc.
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7. Club kit and merchandise
Match Jerseys are provided to all players on match day which are to be returned to the club official or designated member responsible for their collection (and laundry, and mending, and folding, etc.). Players should bring their own boots, shorts preferably navy blue, socks, and jock straps!
Playing jerseys are available for purchase at prices ranging from 50€ to 80€. New members can save 5€ on that price by paying 65€ on joining for the lower priced jersey and fee. Same deal applies to current members on renewing their subscription. You can also get polo shirts in various colours for 25€ each and a smart tie for 20€. The club has some merchandise available for members at a good discount price. Just check out the Club Shop Section
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8. Affiliation form
If you are interested in joining the Madrid Lions R.F.C. then you will need to fill in an affiliation form. You can either get this from us on a Thursday night in Finnegans, or download it using the link below in MS Word format. Just fill this in electronically then rename it to your own name and email it to the lions email address at the bottom of the page. Alternatively if you do not have MS Word download the PDF version, print it out, fill it out and bring it into Finnegans on a Thursday or to a match.
To download it right click on the link, then choose ‘save as…’
1. Affiliation form in Word format
2. Affiliation form in PDF format
Or if you would like to fill in our new members online form click here
We hope you enjoy being a Madrid Lions R.F.C. and look forward to seeing you at the clubs various events; the more you participate, the greater the enjoyment. Your regular support is vital to our success.