History Rugby union in Germany

fc 1880 frankfurt @ 1900 olympic games

rugby union reached germany through affluent british students attended renowned private grammar schools in german confederation or studied in heidelberg; others completed military service in hanover , played rugby in spare time. has influenced german rugby day: heidelberg , hanover centres of sport in germany.

the first german rugby team existed @ neuenheim college - called heidelberg college - in heidelberg. around 1850, game started attract attention of students. students under guidance of teacher edward hill ullrich ones founded rugby department of heidelberger ruderklub von 1872/heidelberger flaggenklub established. (hrk 1872) in 1891, today claims oldest german rugby club.

the oldest still existing rugby department within club of dsv 78 hannover, formed in 1878 ferdinand-wilhelm fricke.

the first form of competition on national scale organised in 1900, on 4 november south versus north game held, won 11-3 northern germany. annual game became fixture until 1967, when replaced state championship. in 1999, drv returned old north-south game importance has not reached former levels.

in 1909, national club championship first organised. champions of north, fv 1897 hannover, met southern club fv 1893 stuttgart , won 6-3 on 14 november 1909.

the german rugby federation set in 1900, first chairman being ferdinand-wilhelm fricke. germany s strength in rugby union evidenced in winning silver in 1900 olympic games , beating france in 1927 , 1938.

in 1927, german national rugby union team set , played first international on 17 april in stade de colombes in paris. germany lost 5-30 france did win return match in frankfurt, 17-16, on 15 may. in third international between 2 countries on 18 march 1928, record 14,000 spectators attended game, still highest attendance number international rugby match in germany.

long preserve of german middle classes, prominent german rugby fan/player controversial albert speer. indeed, german rugby peaked in pre-world war ii period, when in 1938, germany beat france 3-0 second time. however, war , subsequent social upheaval largely reversed pre-war successes in german rugby. period seen english game, worked against it; result, lost financial support , of popularity had gained in western , northern cities of heidelberg, hanover , frankfurt.

like other german sport federations, drv absorbed in all-powerful nazi sports organisation, nationalsozialistischer reichsbund für leibesübungen, part of department 2 , served association football , cricket. hermann meister, chairman of drv, firm believer in united europe , friend of france, tried live ideals rugby , large offered no more resistance nazis other sport.

the sport decimated world war ii of players killed. germany, @ height of performance in 1939 , second france in continental europe, lost virtually whole national team during war, predicament has never recovered.

of centres of german rugby, heidelberg, future headquarters of forces in west germany, spared bombing raids , sport of rugby carried low priority in first post war years. in 1948, german championship restored , golden area of tsv victoria linden begun, team winning title 6 times in row 1951 1956, achievement matched heidelberger rk. first british team tour germany after war oxford greyhounds in 1950. in same year, drv restored in west germany. country divided east , west following post-war occupation, east germany became first german team resume playing international rugby when toured romania in 1951. followed west german team year later, played first international against belgium in 1952. however, neither side able achieve same successes pre-war german team.

rugby showed not immune cold war split when burt weiss, east german player, escaped west berlin using snorkel. drv continued offer east german dtsb play rugby friendly, declined east. after combined team of lok , post berlin happened play west german side berliner sc in tournament in olomouc in 1985, ban on participation in international tournaments west german clubs issued dtsb.

a rugby-bundesliga formed in 1971 replace existing regional championships. hoped increase in interest did not materialise , rugby remains minor sport in germany, exclusively played amateurs.

with german reunification, number of clubs former east germany joined german league system.

in 2000 german rugby federation celebrated centenary. centenary celebrations included banquet in heidelberg castle , hosting of european leg of rugby world cup sevens in heidelberg, in german team came close upsetting ireland, had gordon d arcy in line-up. tournament won welsh team, featured andy marinos , arwel thomas.

the highlight of centenary season centenary match against famous barbarians. barbarians included host of welsh, english, scottish, irish , australian internationals including scott hastings, peter stringer, shaun longstaff, jeff probyn, frankie sheahan, russell earnshaw, shaun connor, john langford , derwyn jones , won 47-19 against determined german team.

the german federation tendered host 2010 women s rugby world cup event awarded england instead. did hold 2008 hannover sevens, european sevens championship.

an important part of rugby union outside structures of german federation army rugby union of british army in germany holds own german championship. winner of competition advances play uk army rugby union champion. british army supported development of sport in region british army germany rugby union team playing national teams of germany , neighbouring countries.

the german rugby federation suffered major crisis in 2011, finding close insolvency, being €200,000 in debt. situation brought on annual grant of german federal ministry of interior, bmi, not being paid in 2010 after ministry voiced concerns drv not using money desired purpose, support sport. legal battle drv chairman claus-peter bach fought ministry did not bring desired result instead worsened situation. bach consequently announced not stand term in july 2011 , replaced ralph götz. drv able secure private loan survive , hopes attract sponsors had withdrawn under bach reach settlement bmi.

in mid-july 2012 deutsche rugby tag (drt), annual general meeting of drv decided approve league reform proposed german international manuel wilhelm. new system see number of clubs in bundesliga increased ten 24, league divided 4 regional divisions of 6 clubs each , finals series expanded 4 8 teams. 1 of main aims of reform reduce number of kilometres travlled individual teams , therefore reduce travel expenses. drv announced @ drt 2012 able avoid insolvency , regain annual grants german government on condition sticks strict financial plan see drv dept free 2018. violation of plan see funding withdrawn , association confronted insolvency again.