Hamburger RC

Hamburger RC
Full name Hamburger Rugby Club von 1950 e.V.
Union German Rugby Federation
Founded 1950
Location Hamburg, Germany
Ground(s) Rugby-Arena Saarlandstraße
Chairman Dietmar Cyrus
Coach(es) Thomas Ernst
League(s) 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East
2010–11 9th
Team kit
Official website
hamburger-rugby-club.de/

The Hamburger RC is a German rugby union club from Hamburg, currently playing in the 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East.

Contents

History

The HRC was formed on 6 June 1950, under the leadership of Emil Creydt.[1]

The club suffered a crisis in 1958, when a number of players left to form the Wandsbeker RC, but eventually returned to the HRC. It suffered a second crisis in 1969, when membership had dropped to 50 people and only seven of those were players. It was suggested that the club should fold and its players join SC Urania Hamburg, but the motion was dismissed.[1]

The fortunes of the club took a new turn from 1975, when Emil Creydt died and a new leadership was elected. In 1982, the club won its first Hamburg championship, followed by a second in 1986.[1]

The club achieved a number of good cup runs in the late 1980s and early 90s and even took part in the promotion round to the Rugby-Bundesliga. After this, it temporarily dropped to Rugby-Regionalliga level.[1]

In 1998, the club achieved promotion to the 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga and managed to play at this level until 2005, when it dropped to the third division once more.[1]

It earned promotion back to the 2nd Bundesliga immediately despite only finishing fourth in the Regionalliga.[2] In this league, where it competes as a second club from Hamburg, alongside the rugby department of FC St. Pauli, the team has been struggling against relegation in the past seasons.

Lukas Hinds-Johnson, a current German international, is product of the club but now plays for RK 03 Berlin. Another former youth player of the club is Ferdinand Richter. He was playing for the Espoirs of Stade Toulouse and in the 2nd French Division for FC Auch. With his brother Valentin Richter (former captain of the Hamburger RC) he played for the Austrian XV.

Recent seasons

Year Division Position
1998-99 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East (II) 7th
2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East relegation round 3rd
1999-2000 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East 6th
2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East relegation round 4th — Relegated
2000-01 Rugby-Regionalliga Lower Saxony (III) 2nd
2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East relegation round 4th
2001-02 Rugby-Regionalliga Lower Saxony 1st — Promoted
2002-03 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East (II) 7th
2003-04 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East 4th
2004-05 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East 6th — Relegated
2005-06 Rugby-Regionalliga North (III)
North/East championship round
4th
1st — Promoted
2006–07 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East (II) 7th
2007–08 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East 8th
2008–09 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East 8th
2009–10 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East 10th
2010–11 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East 9th
2011–12 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Geschichte des HRC (German) HRC website - History, accessed: 6 April 2010
  2. ^ Rugby Spielpläne - Archiv 2005/2006 (German) rugbyweb.de, accessed: 6 April 2010

External links