Stahl Brandenburg Rugby
Encyclopedia
Stahl Brandenburg Rugby is a German
rugby union
club from Brandenburg, currently playing in the Rugby-Regionalliga East A
.
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.
and Romania
was played there.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Brandenburg, currently playing in the Rugby-Regionalliga East A
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...
.
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
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....
for steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
, took its name from its association with the local steelworks.
History
Rugby union came first to the city of Brandenburg in 1958, when an international between the German Democratic RepublicGerman Democratic Republic national rugby union team
The German Democratic Republic national rugby union team was the representative side of the German Democratic Republic at rugby union, during that country's existence from 1949 to 1991.-GDR internationals:...
and Romania
Romania national rugby union team
The Romania national rugby union team , nicknamed The Oaks , is the representative side of Romania in rugby union. Long considered one of the stronger European teams outside the Six Nations, they have participated in all six Rugby World Cups, and currently compete in the first division of the...
was played there.
The following year, in 1959, a rugby department was formed at the Thälmannwerft, a Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
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.
The team took part in the East German rugby union championship
East German rugby union championship
The East German rugby union championship was a rugby union competition in the German Democratic Republic, commonly referred to as East Germany. The competition was first held in 1952 and had its last edition in 1990, being terminated by the events of the German reunion.-Competition:The competition...
without actually winning a championship, coming closest in 1988, when it finished runners-up to Stahl Hennigsdorf
Stahl Hennigsdorf Rugby
The Stahl Hennigsdorf Rugby is a German rugby union club from Hennigsdorf, currently playing in the tier-four Regionalliga East B. The team is part of a larger club, the Stahl Hennigsdorf, which also offers other sports like volleyball, table tennis and boxing.The club, located in former East...
. The club also managed to provide five players to the East German national team.
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.
The team competed at third-tier level in the following years, the local division of the Rugby-Regionalliga
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...
, 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.
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
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...
again in 2007, where it plays today.
Club honours
- East German rugby union championshipEast German rugby union championshipThe East German rugby union championship was a rugby union competition in the German Democratic Republic, commonly referred to as East Germany. The competition was first held in 1952 and had its last edition in 1990, being terminated by the events of the German reunion.-Competition:The competition...
- Runners up: 1988
- Rugby-Regionalliga East ARugby-RegionalligaThe 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...
- Champions: 2005
Recent seasons
| 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) 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) |
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 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 |
| 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 |