Vodafone Giants enter Rocket League with former RCD Espanyol roster

Spanish esport organisation Vodafone Giants have entered the world of Rocket League esports by signing Rival Series roster Canyons.

The team has also got off to a flying start, partaking in yesterday's EuroCup Day 1 qualifiers, coming in second and securing their place in this weekend's main event.

The team, which contains Samuel "Zamué" Cortés, Marc "Stake" Bosch, Damian "Tox" Schaefer and Ibrahim "Wolf." Ben as a substitute, was hotly tipped - under the RCD Espanyol banner - to gain promotion to the top-tier European Rocket League Championship (RLCS) last season after finishing 2nd in the Rival Series but fell short after they were defeated by Endpoint in the Losers' Final of the Promotion Playoffs.

(Picture: Vodaphone Giants)

They entered the Promotion Playoffs in controversial circumstances after it emerged the players had let their contracts with RCD Espanyol rundown, which prompted the former head of digital strategy at RCD Espanyol, Laureá Folch, to make a statement asking for Psyonix to disqualify the team from the competition.

That, of course, didn't happen and they took to the field as "Stonkers" and more recently that have been playing under the name "Canyon".

Since that tournament they have performed well, finishing 4th in the Rocket League Spring Series which included a round one win against European powerhouse Dignitas.

Vodafone Giants, also known as the Giants, are one of the oldest and most successful Spanish esports organisations, founded in 2008 they have teams in League of Legends, Call of Duty, Rainbow Six: Siege, and CS:GO

The Giants move into Rocket League comes at a tumultuous time for Rocket League esports. In May of this year, 13 teams co-signed a letter to Psyonix seeking greater transparency and communication from the developer, and in the last few days rumours of the imminent departure of Cloud9, one of the game's most supportive organisations has intensified.