Rugby league in Germany - match reports

2006 Review

2006 was a further step in the right direction to have Rugby League played in Germany. Its our second year but we have managed to have 3 teams-Heidelberg Sharks, München RLFC and Bad Reichenhall playing in 2006-Last year we had only Heidelberg and München. Next year we look to include hopefully teams in a British Army based team, Pfortzheim and Rottweil along with a couple of Austrian based sides. Some games are 9 aside others 13. The 9 aside games are mainly used to help people learn the sport and play ied in 15 Minutes rather than the 80 minutes (40 x 2) as is usually the case. Normally we have 3 or 4 sides at the 9 aside events with some training and basic coaching involved as well.

The German National team is in its first year as such, as last year we was a development team meaning we had players who wouldnt normally qualify for Germany-This being Not born in Germany of have German Parents or Grandparents and not having lived here 5 years. Germany beat Austria in Bad reichenhall 34-32 in a tough encounter in Bad Reichenhall. Then claimed its second win over Estonia in Tallinn 24-38 with former Brisbane Bronco player Anthony Seibold making his debut.These two wins saw Germany become European Rugby League Development Champions! Leo Berngruber is the National team Captain and Uwe Jansen the Trainer with input from Anthony Seibold who is the director of Rugby League in Germany. He currently is a fitness conditioner for a Professional team in the UK although his family originate from Vilseck near Nürnberg.

We made a start in Youth Rugby League which is our main focus really.We also have 9 Schools in Markröningen, (North of Stuttgart, Heidelberg area x7 and Bavarian International School be taught the basics of Rugby League as well as Touch Rugby.Much of the work is being done by Uwe Jansen. Nick Mcphail is also doing some Youth work with a group of kids which includes his son Marlon in Munich on Wednesdays in the Summer Months.We have to play Touch in Bavaria mainly due to Insurance and things but seen as Rugby League Deutschland and Touch Rugby work alot together especially in Munich its good that we can promote both sports to kids and teachers. An U13s Youth team from Heidelberg, will likely make a short tour to the UK in 2007.

We have a good set of Sponsors who are always looking to help us out.The Arc and The Shamrock as well as the band The Dopes from Munich help and support München Rugby League and we appreciate the support they give us. They help raise money and The Arc are München RLFC Shirt sponsors and where we hold our monthly meetings etc. We also have other sponsors for German Rugby League in www.forty-twenty.co.uk, Stadtsparkasse Bad Reichenhall, Macquarie Bank, Hintsteiner M.A.N Garage, Steeden, BürgerBräu, the Dubliner in Heidelberg and Dirty Nellys Irish Bar in Bad Reichenhall.

Rugby League Deutschland finances at the start of January was a modest €63. We managed to get a grant from the European Rugby League of €900-not alot bur better than nothing! We have also raised a bit of money as well as Rugby League fans in UK, France, Australia and New Zealand sending small donations. We have spent money on Kids Rugby Balls and Equipment for the Schools, Getting Rugby League Balls for teams in Germany and Austria, hosting an International in Bad Reichenhall etc. Still we have just under €500 in the bank and we will look to use some of this next year to send the Youth team to the UK.

We have a group of 12 People at the moment for a Munich Rugby League Stammtisch. We meet once a month at The Arc to promote the game in the Munich area. We are planning a trip to London next year for the Challenge Cup Final-This is the oldest Cup Competition in any code of Rugby and usually sees 70.000 plus crowds depending where played-Hopefully Wembley will be finished for next year! We also travel around Europe playing games and even if people cant play or dont want to they are free to join us on tours to London, Holland etc next year. If you would like to join us then send me or Topsy a PM. If you cant make a meeting its not a problem. We meet for half an hour talking what we are doing , have a few beers and watch a game on the TV. Nobody is forced to do anything and if you feel you can help then thats great.

In 2007 we hope to make more expansion with as previously stated we aim to have 3 more teams involved in playing the game in Germany. We also aim to set up a U19s/Student National side that will play a game likely in Germany as well as the National team aiming to win more games. The National team aim to play Holland in Heidelberg and the return in Rotterdam. We are also looking to play Austria in Austria and possibly play the Czechs and the Italians but this isnt confirmed until November. Clockface from St.Helens (Near Liverpool) in England will come to Bavaria in the end of May to play a full 13 a side game against a Bavarian XIII. We will look to keep the Alpine 9s running-this year won by Bad Reichenhall. Heidelberg are aiming to play in Montpellier in Southern France next year as well.

In Review much progress has been made in these 2 years that we have been in existance but still we have had disappointments and mistakes have been made. Still we are very happy with the progress we have made despite the problems we face. The aim now is to keep improving the standard of Rugby League in Germany and Austria both on and off the field. We also aim to have 10 teams by 2009 that play Rugby League in Germany.Hopefully Ausrian Rugby League will be running itself by then!

Deutschland Select XIII v 1st Duke of Lancaster Regiment

A team made up of Germans and non Germans living in Germany will play the 1st Duke of Lancaster regiment on the 18th November at 12.30 at the HTV Ground in Heidelberg. Players will come from Bad Reichenhall, Munich, Heidelberg and Pfortzheim. A player who has played in Super League (The top Professional League in Europe) plays for Bad Reichenhall and will be a big boost and hopefully the German born players can learn of him like the German guys who went to Estonia have learned much of former Brisbane Broncos Star Anthony Seibold. Its hoped to make this an annual game with each year a different venue.

This isnt a National team but more a game to get the top German players experience against playing better opposition. The Natiopnal team are almost certain in 2007 to play against the Netherlands, Austria, Italy and maybe the Czech Republic though nothing is confirmed. With a couple more domestic teams likely to come on board in 2007 things are looking positive for a sport thats only 2 years old in Germany

Germany XIII 18 1.Duke of Lancaster Regiment 50

A team made up of players who live and play Rugby League in Germany faced the 1st Duke of Lancaster Regiment in Heidelberg on Saturday. The German XIII consisted of 9 German born Players, 1 German/Brit, 4 Brits, 1 South African, 1 Fijian, 1 American who mostly were playing only their third game of Rugby League gave a good account of themselves against the Army team based in Osnabrück. Many of the Army team come from the Rugby League mad areas of Cumbria and Lancashire and had alot of experience as well as having 3 Fijians in the side.

The game was more or less over inside 20 Minutes as the 1st Dule of Lancs exposed the inexperience of the Germany XIII select side to race into a 0-30. Also playing some great Footy with the Fijians pace and power causing problems as well as the Select side failing to get back 10 Metre and penalised didnt help. However the Select side starting learning and some great tackling from Captain of the Day, South African James Brown and Simon Cooper kept the Army boys out. With ball in hand, Man of the Match Moritz Hottenrott, Anjum Khan, Joachim Freera amongst others were causing problems for the Army boys as some strong running made good field position. Some great defending and the experience the Army boys kept the line in tact.However after strong running from Hottenrott,Simon Cooper from 10 Metres out somehow finding a gap to go over to the joy of the Select team. Olivier Kessler converting. Sadly the Army boys added two more tries as the Xiii boys were still celeberating from scoring to give an very unfair look to the result at half time. Germany XIII 6 1st Duke of Lancs 42

The Second half was a totally different game as a change of tactics and some much needed advice from the experienced players gave the German XIII more confidence. The Select side got into the faces of the Army boys alot more instead of waiting for them and the game moved into a very physical game with some big hits with Cooper, Brown,Freera and Fijian Sub Meli Tuisivanu making some excellent tackles to knock the Army boys off there stride. Again it was some strong running from Hottenrott, Khan, Tuisivanu and Higgi Volkmann that allowed James Brown to find Cooper, running on to a beautiful ball to go over from 20 Metres out with nobody laying a finger on him.Kessler converting. The Army boys were now on the backfoot and some bellringing tackles and some overelaborate play had the Army boys frustrated as they struggled to make anything work in the second half. Another strong run from Tuisivanu and then from the Play the ball Brown found Khan and his strength took 3 Army guys over the line. Kessler converting yet again and it was 18-42. The Select side in the last 10 Minutes were very tired and gave a needless penalty away and then let a well worked try in. However this was a very good game to watch with some good tries, thundering tackles and although at times got heated between the two teams it was well controlled by Referee Ian Thompson from Rotterdam

From this weekend its looking good that Eintracht Frankfurt will play Rugby League in the Summer 2007 and a U20s German National side will be formed to play the Dutch U20 side. This is very good seen as we have only been going a little over 2 years.We didnt have the 3 Germans that are at Uni in England. Also missing was a number through injury or work commitments were German National Captain Leo Berngruber, Pauli Berngruber, Andreas Brunnauer, Andreas Kettner, Stephan Kasper, German/Kiwi Mike Kerr etc so we didnt have the strongest side out or the most experienced.

Germany XIII
1.Olivier Kessler (Heidelberg)
2.Alex Klöpper (Heidelberg)
3.Michael Glaser (Heidelberg)
4.Higgi Volkmann (Eintracht Frankfurt)
5.Jeff Byrd (Heidelberg)
6.James Brown (Heidelberg)
7.Shaun Walsh (Munster)
8.Anjum Khan (Heidelberg)
9.Dave Roberts (Heidelberg)
10.Daniel Folgmann (München)
11.Joachim Freera (Eintracht Frankfurt)
12.Moritz Hottenrott (Heidelberg)
13.Simon Cooper (München)

14.Lee Grime (München)
15.Uwe Jansen (Heidelberg)
16.Danny Hughes
17.Meli Tuisuvanu

Tries:Cooper (2), Khan
Convertions: Kessler (3/3)

1.st Duke of Lancaster Regiment
1.Richard Nicholson
2.Siona Tunisau
3.Joe Fauldner
4.Balicau Zach
5.Baz Queen
6.Gary Barnise
7.Darren Greenall
8.Alan Tyson
9.Martin O´niel
10.Akuila Borisi
11.Dale Boydell
12.Carl Ruffley
13.Dave Thwaites

14.Dave Warner
15.James Mallon
16.Andy Lockwood
17.Lewis Whitby

Referee Ian Thompson (Rotterdam)

HT: 6-42