Stahl Hennigsdorf Rugby
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| Full name | Sport Verein Stahl Hennigsdorf Rugby e.V. 1948 |
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| Union | German Rugby Federation |
| Founded | 1948 |
| Location | Hennigsdorf, Germany |
| Ground(s) | Sportplatz Berliner Straße |
| Chairman | Olaf Laetsch |
| Coach(es) | Thomas Bartsch |
| League(s) | Rugby-Regionalliga East |
| 2014–15 | 3rd |
| Official website | |
| www |
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The Stahl Hennigsdorf Rugby is a German rugby union club from Hennigsdorf, currently playing in the tier-four Regionalliga East B. The team is part of a larger club, the Stahl Hennigsdorf, which also offers other sports like volleyball, table tennis and boxing.
The club, located in former East Germany, was the most successful rugby team in the country, having won 27 national championships from 1952 to 1990, when the last championship was held.
The term Stahl is the German word for steel and refers to the club's connection to the local steelworks.
The club is located in the Oberhavel district, north west of Berlin. The district is home to two more rugby union clubs, RU Hohen Neuendorf and Veltener RC.
The club was formed in 1948 when Erwin Thiesies, a former German rugby international for Berliner SV, brought the game to Hennigsdorf. He tried to find a home for the sport in the BSG Motor Hennigsdorf but found the club uninterested. He was more successful when contacting BSG Stahl Hennigsdorf and a rugby department was formed.
After originally playing sides from Berlin, the club soon established contacts to teams in Hanover. Erwin Thiesies, by being employed through the local steel works, became the full-time coach of Stahl and was able to travel abroad to watch games and improve his knowledge of the game.
Stahl became the first East German rugby union champion in 1952 and defended this title the following year but then had to wait a number of years for another title. In this era, the club provided the core of the East German team, together with DHfK Leipzig and ASK Vorwärts Berlin. Stahl, until the German reunion, continued to provide the core of the national team.
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