USV Potsdam Rugby
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| Full name | Universitätssportverein Potsdam e.V. |
|---|---|
| Union | German Rugby Federation |
| Founded | 1949 (club) 1988 (rugby department) |
| Location | Potsdam, Germany |
| Ground(s) | Sportplatz Am Neuen Palais |
| Chairman | Prof. Dr. Dieter Wagner |
| Coach(es) | Robby Lehmann |
| League(s) | 2. Rugby-Bundesliga (II) |
| 2015–16 | 2. Rugby-Bundesliga East, 2nd |
| Official website | |
| rugby-potsdam |
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The USV Potsdam Rugby is a German rugby union club from Potsdam, currently playing in the Rugby-Bundesliga. It is part of a larger multi-sport club, the USV Potsdam, which also offers other sports like basketball, association football and tennis and consists of 19 departments.
The club was formed on 11 March 1949 as SG Landeshochschule Potsdam in what was soon to become East Germany. It was later renamed to HSG PH Potsdam.
In 1990, with the imminent dissolution of East Germany, it became the HSG BLH Potsdam, to adopt its current name, USV Potsdam, in July 1991, reflecting its close ties with the University of Potsdam.
The club's rugby department was formed in 1988. However, rugby in Potsdam dates back to the 1950s. In 1963, a rugby department was formed at the Pädagogischen Hochschule Potsdam, which later joined local club Dynamo Potsdam. In 1988, students at the Pädagogischen Hochschule once more formed a rugby club, the RG 88 Potsdam. Once more, this team joined the local police sports club, the former Dynamo now being renamed PSV Potsdam.
In 1993, this team won promotion to the 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North for the first time. In 1997, the rugby department then joined the university club USV, its current home.
The team earned promotion to the 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East in 2005, the second tier of German club rugby, by winning its regional division of the Rugby-Regionalliga and succeeding in the promotion round against Welfen Braunschweig und Hamburger RC.
Finishing the first three seasons in this league in the lower half of the table, USV progressed to a third place in 2008-09. In the 2009-10 season, the club leads the league and has a good chance of earning promotion to the Rugby-Bundesliga. The club however is trying to attract sponsorship to be able to afford competing at national level.
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