However, she is not only the youngest, but also one of the tallest and heaviest members of the roster, with her 186cms and 135kgs being put to good use. In a country where she is an exception, Garc\u00eda still remembers her first camp with the Spanish senior squad<\/a> back in 2022.<\/p>\n \u2018This Energy Never Stops\u2019 \u2013 Women\u2019s Rugby World Cup 2025<\/p>\n \u201cI remember some of my teammates being shocked because of my size.\u201d Garc\u00eda said with a laugh,\u201dIt was a funny reaction, but I didn\u2019t get upset as Spain<\/a> is a nation not known for having tall and big players, and I was an exception at the time. However, things are changing, as there are more big girls coming through the ranks.\u201d<\/p>\n Born in 2005, Garc\u00eda was raised in the Basque Country and from a young age tried more than one sport, with rugby becoming part of her life when she was only 6. Although she has no memories from her first encounter with the rugby ball, she is fully aware of how good the experience was for her.<\/p>\n \u201cI have no recollection of that first practice session, as I was very young. My parents drove me to the Durango Rugby training grounds, and I was bewildered by what I encountered. People quickly embraced me as one of their own, and I received a lot of support, help and love from everyone. I might not remember that first day, but the warm feelings still live within me.\u201d<\/p>\n Fixture<\/p>\n Women’s Rugby World Cup<\/p>\n New Zealand Women <\/p>\n Spain Women <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Whilst she gave an honest try to basketball, only rugby fully accepted her, with the sport showing that her size wasn\u2019t a problem, but an advantage.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been big since I was little, and sometimes it brought a bit of hardship to my life. But in rugby, my size wasn\u2019t an issue or something that I should feel ashamed of.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople looked after me for who I was. I wasn\u2019t sidelined because of my weight and size. My coaches taught me how to make the most out of my body. That\u2019s why rugby is a special family to me.\u201d<\/p>\n After nine years with Durango Rugby, Eider Garc\u00eda would make the jump to E\u00edbar RT, becoming a member of one the newest contenders for the Liga Iberdrola, Spain\u2019s top women\u2019s division. However, due to her being 16 at the time, she couldn\u2019t feature in the front-row and had to play in the secondrow.<\/p>\n \u201cI had to play for a full season as a lock, because the Liga Iberdrola [Spain women\u2019s first division] didn\u2019t allow for a U18 to play as a prop. Contrary to what people might think, I loved playing in that position. It was a great experience, as it helped me pick up a few new skills.\u201d<\/p>\n However, once she could play an official a game as a prop, Garc\u00eda went right back to it.<\/p>\n \u201cBut being a prop is different. I immensely appreciate my position, as it is quite unique. Most players can\u2019t play as a prop; you need the right set of skills, knowledge and physicality to play in it.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are technical players, our work has to be precise on the scrum, or it won\u2019t amount to anything. We have to be low, get our timings right, find a way to control the opposite prop, etc. Again, it is a unique position, one that rugby should value even more.\u201d<\/p>\n Garc\u00eda, who\u2019s fully in love with her life as a prop, can easily explain why she is so in-tune with the role and why it impacts so heavily in any given game.<\/p>\n \u201cThe set-piece has the power to swing and shift a game\u2019s momentum, and that\u2019s one reason why I like it so much. People think the maul is just chaos when there\u2019s a strategy to it, and it depends on whether you are a lifter, jumper, first ball receiver, etc. It\u2019s not just the back line that has secrets and shadow tactics!<\/p>\n After one year with Eibar, Garc\u00eda was called to take part in a training camp of the Spanish national team<\/a>. She made an instant impact and was selected to play against Colombia for the Spain \u2018A\u2019 side.<\/p>\n \u201cI was 17 when I featured in my first game for Spain<\/a>, even if it wasn\u2019t considered a full Test Match cap.<\/p>\n \u201cAs anyone can imagine, it was a special day. I was nervous because I was getting the chance to play for my country and alongside some of the biggest names of the Leonas,<\/a> but it was always my goal. I had worked long hours and extra days to reach that level. And on the 10th of February of 2022, I got my first shot.\u201d<\/p>\n With memories of her first moments with the Spanish national team<\/a> coming to her mind, she remembers meeting Laura \u2018Bimba\u2019 Delgado for the first time, someone she viewed as her role model.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2019Bimba\u2019 was and is my role model, and to have the chance to share this journey with her is beyond special.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t watch much women\u2019s game when I was growing up, but I knew who Bimba was. I went crazy when I went to my first camp, seeing all those legends there. I even took pictures with \u2018Bimba\u2019 in case it was the last time that I got to go there.\u201d<\/p>\n With a new whole ocean of experiences coming her way, Garc\u00eda had to be ready for more changes, with the biggest happening in 2022, a move to \u00c9lite 1 Lyon OU.<\/p>\n \u201cI was finishing my bachelor\u2019s degree and playing for Eibar when I got a call from Lyon. I felt it was like a once-in-a-lifetime ticket, and I couldn\u2019t say no to that even if it meant pausing my education. I needed to find out if I wanted to be a professional rugby player.\u201d<\/p>\n Being 17 years old at the time, the tighthead prop had to leave everything behind if she wanted to go big.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was going to be the biggest change of my life, as I had to go live in France, learn a new language and be far from my family. I stayed, but when my parents went home after driving me to Lyon, I thought of going with them. Fortunately, I made the correct decision, and I stayed in France.\u201d<\/p>\n For Garc\u00eda, the move to France was one of those moments that showed that a woman could be a pro player, something that seemed improbable when she first started. With the growth of the women\u2019s game, she acknowledges that Spain has followed the trend.<\/p>\n \u201cI was one of only two girls playing rugby in my first rugby practice. Most clubs didn\u2019t have a women\u2019s team. However, it has completely changed since then.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are more nowadays, and not only in quantity, but also in quality. There\u2019s more talent and girls who want to have a career. It has been a transformative era for the women\u2019s game, and I hope it continues to improve.\u201d<\/p>\n Being one of the youngest players to have capped for Spain<\/a> in the last twenty years, Garc\u00eda is seen as a flagbearer for the new generations, even if she refuses that role for the time being.<\/p>\n \u201cI still don\u2019t\u00a0see myself as a role model for young players, because I am still very young! But I want young girls to see that they can belong in a sport even if they are big and have broad shoulders. They don\u2019t have to resent their bodies or think they can\u2019t have a great life and sports career. I am proud of myself, and so should they.\u201d<\/p>\n With the increasing chance of playing her first game at such a big stage as the World Cup<\/a>, Garc\u00eda expects the women\u2019s game to continue to grow and expand, inspiring even more women to join the ranks.<\/p>\n \u201cMy wish is for more girls to not only dream about having a sports career, but to go for it without any regrets or fears. We need the women\u2019s game in Spain to continue to develop, and I think it starts with the\u00a0Leonas<\/a>\u00a0getting more recognition. If more young girls are exposed to us, they will be inspired to reach the same level.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Video](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/spacer-new.png\")
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