Rugby union in Germany
| Rugby union in Germany | |
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Germany playing Belgium
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| Country | Germany |
| Governing body | German Rugby Federation |
| National team | Germany |
| First played | 1850 |
| Registered players | 11,254 |
| Clubs | 110 |
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National competitions
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Club competitions
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Rugby union in Germany is a minor sport. The German Rugby Federation has, as of 2012, 110 member clubs and 11,254 members.
The German Rugby Federation (German: Deutscher Rugby-Verband or DRV) is the governing body for rugby union in Germany. There are 12 regional unions (Landesverbände).
The DRV is a founding member of FIRA - Association of European Rugby (1934), and became affiliated to the International Rugby Board in 1999. Moreover, it is member of the German Olympic Sport Federation (Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund).
Rugby union reached Germany through affluent British students who attended renowned private grammar schools in the German Confederation or studied in Heidelberg; others completed their military service in Hanover and played rugby in their spare time. This has influenced German rugby to this day: Heidelberg and Hanover are the centres of the sport in Germany.
The first German rugby team existed at Neuenheim College - now called Heidelberg College - in Heidelberg. Around 1850, the game started to attract the attention of the students. Students under the guidance of the teacher Edward Hill Ullrich were the ones who then founded the rugby department of the Heidelberger Ruderklub von 1872/Heidelberger Flaggenklub' was established. (HRK 1872) in 1891, which today claims to be the oldest German rugby club.
The oldest still existing rugby department within a club is that of DSV 78 Hannover, formed in 1878 by Ferdinand-Wilhelm Fricke.
The first form of competition on national scale was organised in 1900, on 4 November a South versus North game was held, won 11-3 by northern Germany. This annual game became a fixture until 1967, when it was replaced by a state championship. In 1999, the DRV returned to the old north-south game but its importance has not reached former levels.
In 1909, a national club championship was first organised. The champions of the north, FV 1897 Hannover, met southern club FV 1893 Stuttgart and won 6-3 on 14 November 1909.
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Wikipedia