Rugby Union

Rugby in Germany

Contrary to popular belief, Rugby has a long tradition in Germany dating back to the 1870’s, mainly thanks to Universities like Heidelberg who moulded themselves on Oxford and Cambridge. Rugby was seen as a fitting expansion to the university rowing clubs, to keep the players fit in the winter. (For this reason the „R“ in RC, RK or RV is often „Ruder“ and not „Rugby“! Heidelberger Ruder Klub is one of the oldest and largest Rugby clubs in Germany). The famous football club in Hannover, formed in 1878, played mostly Rugby in the early years. Hannover has, ever since, been a stronghold of German rugby. The Deutsche Rugby-Verband was first formed in the year 1900 (in the same year, the Deustche Fussball Bund was formed). Since Rugby was banned by Hitler’s Germany, the Verband had to be re-born in 1950 .

Rugby in Bavaria

Rugby has struggled in post-war Germany - it has been forbidden by the allies for quite a few years. None the less, the Rugby-Verband Bayern, formed in 1996 is doing a great job in promoting Rugby in Bavaria, not an easy feat outside of the traditional rugby areas of Heidelberg and Hannover. The Rugby Verband Bayern now boasts the following teams: TV 1860 Bamberg, TuS Fürstenfeldbruck, VfB Hafenlohr, Illeheim RFC, Ingolstadt TV 1861, München RFC, Studentenstadt Rugby München, RC Ulm, TSV 1846 Nürnberg, RC Regensburg 2000 and Rosenheim.

Rugby in Munich

Munich has two Rugby Union Clubs. The oldest rugby club in Munich is München RFC whose first team play in the 2nd Bundesliga Sd and second team play in the Bavarian League. München RFC train in Giesing and Großhadern. The home games are also played in Großhadern. Munich's other Rugby club, Studentenstadt Rugby München, (StuSta München) trains and plays on the north-western edge of the English Gardens in Freimann. StuSta were promoted to the 2nd Bundesliga Süd for the 2004/5 Season.

See also:

Sport

Munich