Stahl Brandenburg Rugby
Stahl Brandenburg Rugby is a German rugby union club from Brandenburg, currently playing in the Rugby-Regionalliga East A.
 | |
| Full name | SG Stahl Brandenburg Rugby |
|---|---|
| Union | German Rugby Federation |
| Founded | 1950 (club) 1959 (rugby department) |
| Location | Brandenburg, Germany |
| Ground(s) | Medizinsportplatz |
| Chairman | Michael Domke |
| Coach(es) | Torsten Busse |
| Captain(s) | Sebastian Pfeiffer |
| League(s) | Rugby-Regionalliga East |
| 2014–15 | 6th |
| Official website | |
| rugby-brandenburg-havel | |
The club, located in former East Germany, used to be part of the BSG Stahl Brandenburg, a multi-sports club formed in November 1950. Stahl was home, apart from rugby, to a football department, now the FC Stahl Brandenburg, as well as a large number of other sports. Stahl, German for steel, took its name from its association with the local steelworks.[1]
History
Rugby union came first to the city of Brandenburg in 1958, when an international between the German Democratic Republic and Romania was played there.[2]
The following year, in 1959, a rugby department was formed at the Thälmannwerft, a Shipbuilding company, as part of the BSG Motor Nord. The Thälmannwerft, and BSG Motor Nord, were closed in 1961-62 and the rugby players moved to the BSG Stahl Brandenburg.[2]
The team took part in the East German rugby union championship without actually winning a championship, coming closest in 1988, when it finished runners-up to Stahl Hennigsdorf. The club also managed to provide five players to the East German national team.[2]
With the German reunion, the club lost many players and was in real danger of having to close its rugby department, but managed to avoid this drastic step.[2]
The team competed at third-tier level in the following years, the local division of the Rugby-Regionalliga, until 2000, when a second place in the league and a good performance in the promotion round meant qualification to the tier-two 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East.[2]
Stahl suffered relegation from this league in 2002 but returned in 2005 after a championship in the Regionalliga. It played two more seasons in the 2nd Bundesliga before returning to the Rugby-Regionalliga East A again in 2007, where it plays today.
Club honours
- East German rugby union championship
- Runners up: 1988
- Rugby-Regionalliga East A
- Champions: 2005
Recent seasons
Recent seasons of the club:[3]
| Year | Division | Position |
| 1999-2000 | ||
| 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East relegation round | 9th — Promoted | |
| 2000-01 | 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East (II) | 6th |
| 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East relegation round | 3rd | |
| 2001-02 | 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East | 8th — Relegated |
| 2002-03 | ||
| 2003-04 | Rugby-Regionalliga East (North) (III) | 3rd |
| Placings round 1 | 2nd | |
| 2004-05 | Rugby-Regionalliga East A | 4th |
| North/East championship round | 1st — promoted | |
| 2005-06 | 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East (II) | 5th |
| 2006–07 | 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East | 8th — Relegated |
| 2007–08 | Rugby-Regionalliga East A (III) | 5th |
| 2008–09 | Rugby-Regionalliga East A | 4th |
| 2009–10 | Rugby-Regionalliga East (III) | 4th |
| Rugby-Regionalliga East A | 4th | |
| 2010–11 | Rugby-Regionalliga East | 5th |
| 2011–12 | Rugby-Regionalliga East | 10th |
| 2012–13 | Rugby-Regionalliga East | 5th |
| 2013–14 | Rugby-Regionalliga East | 6th |
| 2014–15 | Rugby-Regionalliga East | 6th |
| 2015–16 | Rugby-Regionalliga East |
References
- Der Traditionsverein von der Havel (in German) FC Stahl Brandenburg website - History, accessed: 11 April 2010
- Geschichte (in German) Stahl Brandenburg Rugby - History, accessed: 11 April 2010
- RugbyWeb Ergebnisarchiv (in German) rugbyweb.de - Results archive, accessed: 24 July 2012
External links
- (in German) Official website
- (in German) Stahl Brandenburg Rugby club info at totalrugby.de