Jon Zabala
{{short description|Spanish rugby union player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{infobox rugby biography
| name = Jon Zabala
| image =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|November|27|df=y}}
| birth_place = Getxo, Spain
| height = {{height|m=1.92}}
| weight = {{convert|128|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
| position = Prop
| amatyears1 =
| amatteam1 =
| years1 = 2016–2019
| years2 = 2019–2020
| years3 = 2020–2021
| years4 = 2021–2024
| years5 = 2024–
| clubs1 = Aviron Bayonnais
| clubs2 = → {{ill|Anglet ORC|fr|Anglet olympique rugby club}} (loan)
| clubs3 = Stado Tarbes
| clubs4 = AS Bézier
| clubs5 = Section Paloise
| apps1 = 11
| apps2 = 15
| apps3 = 18
| apps4 = 6
| points1 = 0
| points2 = 0
| points3 = 5
| points4 = 0
| ru_clubupdate = 28 October 2021
| repyears1 = 2016
| repyears2 = 2017–
| repteam1 = Spain U20
| repteam2 = Spain
| repcaps1 = 4
| repcaps2 = 29
| reppoints1 = 10
| reppoints2 = 5
| ru_ntupdate = 16 March 2025
}}
Jon Zabala (born 27 November 1996) is a Spanish rugby union player, who plays for Section Paloise.{{Cite web|title=Player profile|url=http://www.itsrugby.co.uk/player_37331.html|access-date=28 October 2021|website=itsrugby.co.uk}}
He is an international player with Spain national rugby team.{{Cite web|date=2020-07-08|title=Rugby - Tarbes accueille un international espagnol|url=https://www.sportbusinessmag.com/zap-sport/rugby-tarbes-accueille-un-international-espagnol/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028163716/https://www.sportbusinessmag.com/zap-sport/rugby-tarbes-accueille-un-international-espagnol/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=28 October 2020|access-date=2021-10-28|website=Sport Business Mag|language=fr-FR}}
Club career
Zabala began his career as a second row with Getxo Rugby Taldea, the team from his hometown. He quickly advanced through the ranks, reaching the first team as a second row. During a match for a Basque players' combined team (Euskarians Rugby), Zabala was discovered by Pierre Peytavin and Peio Álvarez, two scouts from Aviron Bayonnais. They quickly contacted him and his club to formalize his signing with the Basque team.
In July 2015, Zabala joined the second team of Aviron Bayonnais to acclimate to a new team and country. His coaches also decided that Zabala should develop his skills as a tighthead prop, requiring him to adapt to the demands of the new position.
Zabala made his professional debut on {{Date|December 17, 2016}}, in a EPCR Challenge Cup match where Aviron Bayonnais faced the Italian team Benetton Rugby Treviso in Italy. The visitors lost 22-17.{{Cite web |title=Challenge Cup - Fiche de match Trévise vs Bayonne, le 17/12/2016 |url=https://www.allrugby.com/saison-2016-2017/matchs/benetton-bayonne-8851.html |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=www.allrugby.com |language=fr}}
In September 2019, he was loaned to Anglet Olympique Rugby Club, a team competing in Fédérale 1, the third tier of rugby in France.{{Cite web |date=2019-09-13 |title=Fédérale 1. Le pilier bayonnais Jon Zabala rejoint Anglet pour la saison |url=https://actu.fr/nouvelle-aquitaine/anglet_64024/federale-1-pilier-bayonnais-jon-zabala-rejoint-anglet-saison_27213633.html |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=actu.fr |language=fr}} In the summer of 2020, he ended his association with Bayonne and began a new chapter with Stado Tarbes, based in Bigorre.{{Cite web |title=Un international espagnol signe à Tarbes |url=https://www.rugbyrama.fr/rugby/transferts/2018-2019/transferts-jon-zabala-pilier-international-espagnol-signe-a-tarbes_sto7799367/story.shtml |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=rugbyrama.fr |language=fr}}
From 2021, Zabala played for AS Béziers Hérault in Pro D2, the second tier of rugby union club competition division in France.
In 2024, after becoming one of the best props in the second tier, Zabala joined Section Paloise, which competes in Top 14.
National Team
Zabala participated in the Under-19 European Championship, where Spain won the tournament, scoring one of the tries in the final. In 2017, he was called up by national coach Santiago Santos to face Georgia, making his debut with the Spanish national team, known as the XV del León, by coming on in the second half of a game that ended in a 10-20 loss.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{ESPNscrum}}
{{Section Paloise squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zabala, Jon}}
Category:Spanish rugby union players
Category:Spain international rugby union players
Category:Sportspeople from Getxo
Category:Aviron Bayonnais players
Category:Stado Tarbes Pyrénées Rugby players
Category:AS Béziers Hérault players
Category:Rugby union players from the Basque Country (autonomous community)
Category:Spanish expatriate rugby union players in France
Category:Sportspeople from Biscay
{{Spain-rugbyunion-bio-stub}}