Aroa González is bringing the same drive and determination that made her Spain’s most-capped women’s player to her coaching career.
Aroa won 74 caps, played in four Women’s Rugby World Cups and captained Las Leonas during a glittering career. She is now helping to develop the next generation of Spanish players as Head Coach of FC Barcelona Rugby, who compete in the top-flight División de Honor Femenina de Rugby.
She is also national coach of Spain’s Under-20s and Under-23 teams, as well as forwards coach of the Iberian’s regional side.
She will now be a participant in the Gallagher High Performance Academy (GHPA) at RWC 2025, an involvement Aroa hopes will help to inspire other young Spanish women to follow her down the coaching route.
“For me, the programme is very important - at the moment, there aren’t many women coaches representing high-level teams or national teams,” Aroa told World Rugby.
“These programmes help women who have retired from playing to continue their involvement in rugby, by transitioning into other roles, whether that be as coaches or managers.
“For a long time, women have limited themselves to simply playing rugby, but it is time for us to start taking on other roles. We can contribute a lot and we can also connect a lot with future generations.”
Aroa’s playing career began at 13, when she played her first match at school, and ended with her retirement after Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017.
When she arrived in 2019, FC Barcelona Rugby only had 12 players, but Aroa has helped to reinvigorate the club with her passion and drive to succeed.
“The experience that has given me the most, and which I think will help me to become a great coach, is knowing that every day I have to learn something new and be receptive to change,” she said.
“For me, a strong team culture is the basis for being able to build, train and create a team. The keys to developing this culture are commitment, respect, tolerance and camaraderie.”
