ASV Köln Rugby
The ASV Köln Rugby is a German rugby union club from Cologne, currently playing in the Rugby-Bundesliga. It is part of the multi-sports club ASV Köln, which also offers other sports like athletics, triathlon and karate.
History
Sports club
The club was formed on 27 February 1929, under the name of Akademischen Sportverein Köln, by students of the University of Cologne. In 1936, it severed its connection to the university and renamed itself to Athletik Sportverein Köln, its current name.[1]
Rugby department
The rugby department of the ASV was formed on 1 March 1951, being the second-oldest sports department of the club.[2]
The team initially played friendlies against British Army sides and clubs from Belgium before taking part in the German championship from 1953 onwards.[2]
ASV, in recent history, was part of the Rugby-Bundesliga South/West, being relegated in 2001 to the 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga South/West when the Bundesliga was reduced to single-division format.
The club then finished second in its league three times, in 2002, 2007 and 2009. It managed to win its division in 2008 but lost the 2nd Bundesliga final 6–22 to RK 03 Berlin and missed out on promotion. It was however promoted the following season, when the league was won by the reserve team of SC 1880 Frankfurt. Reserve teams being ineligible for Bundesliga promotion, ASV took its spot instead. Suffering from a string of injuries and heavy defeats during the season, the club made the decision in mid-April 2010, to withdraw from the Rugby-Bundesliga and not to play its five remaining matches as they were no longer able to field a full front row. Köln thereby were automatically relegated from the league.[3]
The clubs women's team has played on the highest level in Germany in the past, the Women's Rugby Bundesliga, but plays one level below, the Women's 2nd Rugby Bundesliga, in 2009-10.
Club honours
Recent seasons
Men
| Year |
Division |
Position |
| 1998-99 |
Rugby-Bundesliga South/West (I) |
|
| Bundesliga championship round |
6th |
| 1999-2000 |
Rugby-Bundesliga South/West |
4th |
| Bundesliga qualification round |
8th |
| 2000-01 |
Rugby-Bundesliga South/West |
6th |
| Bundesliga qualification round |
9th — relegated |
| 2001-02 |
2nd Rugby-Bundesliga South/West (II) |
2nd |
| 2002-03 |
2nd Rugby-Bundesliga South/West |
4th |
| 2003-04 |
2nd Rugby-Bundesliga South/West |
7th |
| 2004-05 |
2nd Rugby-Bundesliga South/West |
4th |
| 2005-06 |
2nd Rugby-Bundesliga South/West |
4th |
| 2006-07 |
2nd Rugby-Bundesliga South/West |
2nd |
| 2007-08 |
2nd Rugby-Bundesliga South/West |
1st |
| 2008-09 |
2nd Rugby-Bundesliga South/West |
2nd — Promoted |
| 2009–10 |
Rugby-Bundesliga (I) |
10th — Relegated |
| 2010–11 |
2nd Rugby-Bundesliga South/West |
6th |
| 2011–12 |
2nd Rugby-Bundesliga South/West |
|
- Until 2001, when the single-division Bundesliga was established, the season was divided in autumn and spring, a Vorrunde and Endrunde, whereby the top teams of the Rugby-Bundesliga would play out the championship while the bottom teams together with the autumn 2nd Bundesliga champion would play for Bundesliga qualification. The remainder of the 2nd Bundesliga teams would play a spring round to determine the relegated clubs. Where two placing's are shown, the first is autumn, the second spring.
Women
| Year |
Division |
Position |
| 2004-05 |
Women's Rugby Bundesliga (I) |
3rd |
| 2005-06 |
Women's Rugby Bundesliga |
5th — Relegated |
| 2006–07 |
Women's 2nd Rugby Bundesliga (II) |
2nd |
| 2007–08 |
Women's 2nd Rugby Bundesliga |
1st |
| 2008–09 |
Women's 2nd Rugby Bundesliga |
1st |
| 2009–10 |
Women's 2nd Rugby Bundesliga |
1st |
References
External links
|
|
|
| Baden-Württemberg |
|
|
| Bavaria |
|
|
| East |
|
|
| Hesse |
|
|
| North |
|
|
| North Rhine-Westphalia |
RC Aachen II • RFC Dortmund • ASV Köln Rugby II • RC Hürth • Grashof RC Essen • RT Münster • WMTV Solingen
|
|
| Rhineland-Palatinate |
|
|
|
|
|