FC Schwalbe Hannover
Encyclopedia
The FC Schwalbe Hannover is a German
rugby union
club from Hanover
, currently playing in the Rugby-Regionalliga Lower Saxony
. Apart from rugby, the club also offers other sports like tennis
, basketball
and boxing
. It is based in the Döhren suburb of Hanover and is the biggest sporting club there.
FC Schwalbe has three German rugby union championship
to its name, won in 1923, 1926 and 1936 but has not reached a final since.
The term Schwalbe is the German
word for swallow
.
Schwalbe reached its first German championship final in 1923, which it won 6-3, beating the SC Neuenheim
. Another title followed in 1926, this time a 8-0 victory against SC 1880 Frankfurt
. The clubs third and final triumph came in 1936, when they beat Neuenheim once more, 11-0 on this occasion.
The club was never able to achieve on a similar level again. In 2003, it won promotion to the tier-two 2nd Bundesliga, but was only able to survive at this level for one season, finishing last and being relegated again. After this, it formed a partnership with DRC Hannover
and Schwalbe fielded a combined side, together with DRC's reserve team.
In 2008, Schwalbe took out the title in the Rugby-Regionalliga Lower Saxony and then beat SC Siemensstadt on average in the promotion round, winning 19-0 at home and losing 7-16 away. This entitled the team to play in the 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East in 2008-09, where the club lost every game except one, which was a draw, and withdrew its team three rounds from the end.
Relegated from the second division, the partnership between Schwalbe and DRC was terminated and the club now fields an independent team again in the Regionalliga, first in Lower Saxony and then in the Regionalliga North.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
club from Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
, currently playing in the Rugby-Regionalliga Lower Saxony
Rugby-Regionalliga
The Rugby-Regionalliga is the third-highest level of Germany's Rugby union league system, organised by the German Rugby Federation. Its set below the 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga...
. Apart from rugby, the club also offers other sports like tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
. It is based in the Döhren suburb of Hanover and is the biggest sporting club there.
FC Schwalbe has three German rugby union championship
German rugby union championship
The German rugby union championship was established in 1909 and has since been played, with exceptions, annually. It is the highest competition in Germany in the sport of Rugby Union.-Men:...
to its name, won in 1923, 1926 and 1936 but has not reached a final since.
The term Schwalbe is the German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
word for swallow
Swallow
The swallows and martins are a group of passerine birds in the family Hirundinidae which are characterised by their adaptation to aerial feeding...
.
History
FC Schwalbe was formed in 1899 as a rugby club, despite the Fussball Club in its name. It took its name from the swallows that were at home in the area around its first playing field.Schwalbe reached its first German championship final in 1923, which it won 6-3, beating the SC Neuenheim
SC Neuenheim
The SC Neuenheim is a German rugby union club from Heidelberg, currently playing in the Rugby-Bundesliga. Having won nine men's and twelve women's German championships as of 2004, the club is one of the most accomplished in Germany.-History:...
. Another title followed in 1926, this time a 8-0 victory against SC 1880 Frankfurt
SC 1880 Frankfurt
The SC 1880 Frankfurt is a German rugby union club from Frankfurt am Main, currently playing in the Rugby-Bundesliga. Apart from rugby, the club also offers other sports like lacrosse, tennis and field hockey....
. The clubs third and final triumph came in 1936, when they beat Neuenheim once more, 11-0 on this occasion.
The club was never able to achieve on a similar level again. In 2003, it won promotion to the tier-two 2nd Bundesliga, but was only able to survive at this level for one season, finishing last and being relegated again. After this, it formed a partnership with DRC Hannover
DRC Hannover
The DRC Hannover is a German rugby union club from Hannover, currently playing in the Rugby-Bundesliga. The club should not be confused with the DRC 1884 Hannover, a rowing club and a separate entity.-History:...
and Schwalbe fielded a combined side, together with DRC's reserve team.
In 2008, Schwalbe took out the title in the Rugby-Regionalliga Lower Saxony and then beat SC Siemensstadt on average in the promotion round, winning 19-0 at home and losing 7-16 away. This entitled the team to play in the 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East in 2008-09, where the club lost every game except one, which was a draw, and withdrew its team three rounds from the end.
Relegated from the second division, the partnership between Schwalbe and DRC was terminated and the club now fields an independent team again in the Regionalliga, first in Lower Saxony and then in the Regionalliga North.
Recent seasons
| Year | Division | Position |
| 2001-02 | ||
| 2002-03 | Rugby-Regionalliga Lower Saxony (III) | 2nd — Promoted |
| 2003-04 | 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East (II) | 7th — Relegated |
| 2004-05 | ||
| 2005-06 | Rugby-Regionalliga Lower Saxony | |
| North/East championship round | 2nd | |
| 2006–07 | Rugby-Regionalliga Lower Saxony | 2nd |
| North/East championship round | 5th | |
| 2007–08 Rugby-Bundesliga 2007–08 The Rugby-Bundesliga 2007-08 was the 37th edition of this competition and the 88th edition of the German rugby union championship. The season went from 25 August 2007 to 31 May 2008, ending with the relegation final.-Overview:... |
Rugby-Regionalliga Lower Saxony (III) | 1st — Promoted |
| 2008–09 | 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East (II) | 10th — Relegated |
| 2009–10 | Rugby-Regionalliga Lower Saxony Rugby-Regionalliga The Rugby-Regionalliga is the third-highest level of Germany's Rugby union league system, organised by the German Rugby Federation. Its set below the 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga... (III) |
1st |
| 2010–11 | Rugby-Regionalliga North Rugby-Regionalliga The Rugby-Regionalliga is the third-highest level of Germany's Rugby union league system, organised by the German Rugby Federation. Its set below the 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga... (III) |
5th |
- From mid-2000s to 2009, the club played as SG Schwalbe/DRC Hannover II, which was a combined team of FC Schwalbe and the reserve team of DRC HannoverDRC HannoverThe DRC Hannover is a German rugby union club from Hannover, currently playing in the Rugby-Bundesliga. The club should not be confused with the DRC 1884 Hannover, a rowing club and a separate entity.-History:...
.