The Rugby Club Unterföhring is a German rugby union club from Munich district, currently playing in the 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga and with a second team in the Verbandsliga Bayern. It is based in Unterföhring, the closest suburb to Munich city centre. Since January 2017 the RCU is the second biggest rugby club in Bavaria with 240 members.[1]
 | |
| Full name | Rugby Club Unterföhring e.V. |
|---|---|
| Union | German Rugby Federation |
| Founded | 21 June 2012 |
| Location | Unterföhring, Germany |
| Ground(s) | RC Unterföhring Rugby Park |
| Chairman |  Stephan Unfried |
| Coach(es) |  Logan Mokalei  Robbie Johnston |
| Captain(s) |  Teimuraz Gordeladze |
| League(s) | 2. Rugby-Bundesliga |
| 2022-2023 | 2nd |
| Official website | |
| www | |
Also Unterföhring was the smallest municipality in Germany with its own rugby union club[2] from 2012 until 2016.[3] After the promotion to the 2. Bundesliga in 2016/17 Unterföhring is the only village (German: Gemeinde) in the history of German rugby to have ever played in a Bundesliga. All other clubs where always based in towns or cities (German: Stadt) or army bases.
The RCU also has a growing youth section and the club is the fourth biggest club with kids under 14 years old in all of Germany.[4] The RCU has secured championships in the Under 8, Under 10 and Under 12 age groups in recent years, as well as runners-up in U8, U10, U12 and U14. The RCU youth teams are known for consistently being able to field complete sides in the Bavarian youth competition.
Founded in 2016 the RCU also has a women's team playing in the Deutsche 7er-Liga Frauen Süd. For the season 2022/23 the aim of the first Men's team was to achieve a ranking in the top 3 at the end of the 2. Bundesliga season.[5] They had success and reached 2nd place at the end of the season and qualified for the promotion match for 1st Bundesliga South/West against RSV Köln in Cologne which RCU unfortunately lost. Still a very successful season, taken into account the club only exists for 11 years.
Youth summer camps edit
In summer 2022 former All Black Kane Hames held a summer camp in Unterföhring with 25 junior players attending. On February 23, 2023, the club announced that they will hold again a summer camp for youth players from age 7 to age 17 in Unterföhring. This time Robert Mohr, former player and current Director of Rugby at Stade Rochalais and former German Rugby International visited Unterföhring and conducted two out of four days at the training camp from July 31 to August 4 in Unterföhring.[6]
Facilities edit
The RCU plays their home games on the rugby pitch in Unterföhring am Etzweg.
Honours edit
Seniors:
- Bavarian rugby union championship
- Runners-up: 2016, 2017
- Promotion to 2nd Bundesliga
- 2017
- Quarter Finals Liga Pokal
- 2018
- Runners up 2nd Bundesliga
- 2023 (most successful season so far)
Youth
- Bavarian rugby union championship
- Champions: Under-8: 2017, 2018, 2019; Under-10: 2017, 2018; Under-12: 2019
- Runners-up: Under-8: 2016; Under-10: 2015, 2016; Under-12: 2018; Under-14 2019
- Champions: Under-8: 2017, 2018, 2019; Under-10: 2017, 2018; Under-12: 2019
Recent seasons edit
Men edit
First team edit
| Year | Division | Position | |
| 2012-13 | Rugby-Regionalliga Bavaria (IV) | 7th[7] | |
| 2013-14 | Rugby-Regionalliga Bavaria (IV) | 6th[8] | |
| 2014-15 | Rugby-Regionalliga Bavaria (III) | 6th[9] | |
| 2015–16 | Rugby-Regionalliga Bavaria | 2nd[10] | |
| 2016 playoff | 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga South | lost[11] | |
| 2016–17 | Rugby-Regionalliga Bavaria | 2nd promoted | |
| 2017-18 | 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga South | 5th | |
| 2018-19 | 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga South | 5th | |
| 2019-20 | 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga South | cancelled due to COVID-19-outbreak | |
| 2020-21 | 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga South | cancelled due to COVID-19-outbreak | |
| 2021-22 | 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga South | 5th | |
| 2022-23 | 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga South | 2nd (best season so far) |
Reserve team edit
| Year | Division | Position |
| 2012-13 | Rugby-Verbandsliga Bavaria (V) | 4th[12] |
| 2013-14 | Rugby-Verbandsliga Bavaria (V) | 6th[13] |
| 2016-17 | Rugby-Verbandsliga Bavaria North (IV) | 3rd[14] |
| 2017-18 | Rugby-Verbandsliga Bavaria South (IV) | 4th[15] |
| 2018-19 | Rugby-Verbandsliga Bavaria (IV) | 8th[16] |
| 2019-20 | Rugby-Verbandsliga Bavaria (IV) | cancelled due to COVID-19 outbreak |
| 2020-21 | Rugby-Verbandsliga Bavaria (IV) | cancelled due to COVID-19 outbreak |
| 2022-23 | Rugby-Verbandsliga South Bavaria (IV) | 3rd |
Women edit
| Year | Division | Position |
| 2017 - 2018 | Rugby-7s Division South (I) | 10th[17] |
| 2018 - 2019 | Rugby-7s Division South (I) | 4th[18] |
References edit
- ^ "Aufstieg als Sahnehäubchen".
- ^ http://www.wochenanzeiger.de/article/156642.html (in German) Newspaper, accessed: 06 July 2016
- ^ "TotalRugby - RC Unterföhring verpasst faustdicke Überraschung".
- ^ "TotalRugby - die Jugendförderer: Welche Klubs haben den stärksten Nachwuchs?".
- ^ "Unterföhringer Ambitionen: "Allermindestens Platz drei"".
- ^ "Rugby Club Unterföhring on LinkedIn: Ex-All Black und aktueller Queensland Reds Assistant Coach Kane Hames…".
- ^ http://www.rugbyweb.de/index.php?archive=2012-13&league=324 (in German) rugbyweb.de - Results archive, accessed: 03 April 2014
- ^ http://rugbyweb.de/index.php?archive=2013-14&league=391 (in German) rugbyweb.de - Results archive, accessed: 30 June 2014
- ^ http://rugbyweb.de/index.php?archive=2014-15&league=451 (in German) rugbyweb.de - Results archive, accessed: 6 July 2016
- ^ http://rugbyweb.de/index.php?archive=2014-15&league=491 (in German) rugbyweb.de - Results archive, accessed: 6 July 2016
- ^ http://rugbyweb.de/index.php?archive=2015-16&league=497 (in German) rugbyweb.de - Results archive, accessed: 26 September 2016
- ^ http://www.rugbyweb.de/index.php?archive=2012-13&league=331 (in German) rugbyweb.de - Results archive, accessed: 03 April 2014
- ^ http://rugbyweb.de/index.php?archive=2013-14&league=392 (in German) rugbyweb.de - Results archive, accessed: 26 September 2016
- ^ https://rugbyweb.de/index.php?le=548 (in German) rugbyweb.de - Results archive, accessed: 20 May 2019
- ^ https://rugbyweb.de/index.php?archive=2017-18&league=628 (in German) rugbyweb.de - Results archive, accessed: 20 May 2019
- ^ https://rugbyweb.de/index.php?le=696 (in German) rugbyweb.de - Results archive, accessed: 17 June 2020
- ^ https://rugbyweb.de/index.php?le=613 (in German) rugbyweb.de - Results archive, accessed: 20 May 2019
- ^ "RugbyWeb Spielpläne - 718".
External links edit
- (in German) Official website