The Spanish Rugby Federation (FER) governing body has hired Mariana Mayo as its new events director as it prepares to host next year’s Rugby Sevens World Series finals.
Mayo joins from Spanish sports marketing agency CA Sports, where she served as operations manager for the last year, having also worked as part of the organizing committee for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games as deputy events director.
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Before that, she worked as operations director of sports marketing and events agency SevenMila.
The appointment comes as the FER gears up to host the final for the men’s Rugby Europe Championship 2026 in Madrid on March 15.
It is also set to stage one of three 2026 SNVS World Championship events, the final stage of the annual World Rugby Sevens Series circuit, alongside Hong Kong and Bordeaux (France).
The final three events decide the line-up for the 2027 top-tier World Rugby Seven Series, with Valladolid, Spain, set to stage the new format tournament from May 29 to 31, 2026.
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By GlobalDataFER is currently working to boost its profile in the country after expressing its interest in hosting the men’s 2035 Rugby World Cup.
Last year, it was reported that FER representatives had met with the World Rugby governing body to demonstrate their intent to host the tournament for the first time.
At the same time, to ensure the bid has facilities with the capacity to host the marquee event, FER is in talks with LaLiga to secure the use of stadia from the Spanish top-flight soccer league to enhance the bid.
Spain is not new to hosting elite rugby, with the San Mames stadium in Bilbao a particular standout, as it is set to host the final of the EPCR Champions Cup in 2026, having hosted once previously in 2018.
Internationally, Spain competes in the European Nations Cup, the highest tier of annual competition for European sides outside the Six Nations, finishing runner-up in the 2024-25 campaign.
With France having hosted the most recent edition of the men’s tournament in 2023, the Rugby World Cup will be hosted in 2027 by Australia, and in 2031 for the first time by the US, meaning 2035 would be the next chance for the event to return to Europe.
Most recently, the federation renewed its partnership with Movistar, the Spanish pay-TV broadcaster owned by telecoms giant Telefónica, which retained rights to air top competitions organized by FER for the next three years.
Under the deal, the Movistar+ streaming service gains rights to air matches from the men’s Division de Honor, women’s Liga Iberdrola, and Copa del Rey domestic knockout competition, through the 2027-28 season.
