Rugby union in Spain - travel insurance?

Am playing rugby in Spain from September. Am from Australia but have a European passport and am going through a type of rugby union broker to play. Normal travel insurance doesn't cover injuries from rugby. Any suggestions or information on how to go about ensuring I am covered.

Also, any advice on living in the Alicante/Valencia area appreciated.

As far as I know, I think accident insurance it's mandatory for "federated" sportsmen.So the rugby federation (either spanish federation or valencia federation,if you're going to play in a team from Valencia or Alicante) should have an agreement with a private insurance company concerning injuries from rugby and the teams pay the agreed fee for every player. Just check it with the team. If not included, you can suscribe it on an individual basis.
Furthermore, social security is universal in Spain. That means if you're living in Spain, you have the right to go to public health centers and hospitals, even if you're illegally living here (this is not your case, since you have an european passport). So go to the council of the city or town where you will live, and apply for residence status in that town("empadronarse" is the verb) . Then you get a paper that allows you to go to Social Security and apply for the health card. Social security excludes circumstances that must be covered by mandatory insurance (sport races, professional sports, hunting...), that means if you go to the public hospital due to an injury while hunting or playing a sport, the social security will demand from you the private policy to bill the insurance company (or to bill you, if you don't have the insurance).

I thought you had to have a permanent address in Spain (rental contract or deed) for "empadronamiento"?Also, getting the social security card is a long process and applies to people who wish to live and work in Spain.

Spanish emergency rooms will take anyone in, your problem wouldn't be injury, it would be developing a chronic problem which needed a prolonged treatment.

My mother is a Polish citizen (EU) and whenever she comes to visit she filles out and registers a form in Poland which states she's covered by social security in Poland and that form is recognized here in Spain, entitling her to doctor's visits and treatment during her holiday. It would be worth checking if you could do that in a UK embassy (I gather you have a British passport?).

As for insurance, I doubt you'd be allowed to play without it, ask the broker what arrangement they have - I would bet there is collective insurance for the team but you need to talk to the organizers up front.

About social security, if you're going to play rugby for a year in Spain, you will have a permanent address, therefore you can get the social security card. The question of the specific sport insurance is more or less clear: even when you practice amateur sport at school, it's mandatory the insurance, therefore every player pays for it or the team pays for it.
The alternative of using the form from the european country you have the passport it's more focused on tourists, and be aware that, depending on which country you come from, you can be required to pay some money and ask a refund once you come back to your country. Therefore applying for the spanish social security card it's a better option for somoeone who is going to spend a year in Spain.

Where does it say "for a year"? Did I miss it? If that's the case,I agree with you gusrez.