Rugby-Welfen Braunschweig
Rugby-Welfen Braunschweig is a German rugby union team from Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, currently playing in the 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga. The team is part of a larger sports club, TuRa Braunschweig, which apart from rugby also offers other sports like athletics, basketball, gymnastics and pétanque. The team is named after the House of Welf.
| Full name | Rugby Welfen Braunschweig (beim TuRa e.V. 1865) |
|---|---|
| Union | German Rugby Federation |
| Founded | 27 January 1954 1865 (parent club) |
| Location | Braunschweig, Germany |
| Ground(s) | Am Bienroder Weg Rote Wiese (until 2014) |
| League(s) | 2. Rugby-Bundesliga (II) |
| 2015–16 | 2. Rugby-Bundesliga North, 7th |
| Official website | |
| www | |
History
Post SV Braunschweig
The history of the club's rugby section goes back to 27 January 1954. On that date, the rugby section of Post SV Braunschweig, a large multi-sports club, was founded.[1] The club played mostly in regional lower-tier competitions, but in 1991 won their first (and only) promotion into the Rugby-Bundesliga, but suffered relegation again after just one season at the top-level.[2]
Welfen SC Braunschweig
In the late 1990s, Post SV Braunschweig ran into financial problems, which eventually led to the club's dissolution in 2001.[3] Due to this, the rugby section separated from the parent club and joined Welfen SC Heidberg, another local sports club, in 1999.[4] The club, based in the Heidberg district of Braunschweig and founded in 1973,[5] later changed its name into Welfen SC Braunschweig.
After several seasons in the Rugby-Regionalliga, Welfen SC won promotion back to the 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga in 2011. In the 2014–15 season the club finished second in the north-east Liga-Pokal group and was knocked out by TuS 95 Düsseldorf in the quarter finals of the play-offs.
TuRa Braunschweig
In 2014 the rugby players of Welfen SC decided to leave the club again due to being dissatisfied with the condition of the club's grounds. On 1 January 2015 they joined Turn- und Rasensportverein Braunschweig (short: TuRa Braunschweig), but continue to compete under the name Rugby-Welfen Braunschweig. TuRa Braunschweig had been founded as the city's second gymnastics club (after MTV Braunschweig) in 1865.[6] The club's athletes have also won several German championships in other sports such as acrobatic gymnastics and Steinstossen.[7]
Recent seasons
Recent seasons of the club:[8]
| Year | Division | Position |
| 2010–11 | Rugby-Regionalliga (III) | 1st — Promoted |
| 2011–12 | 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East (II) | 8th |
| 2012–13 | 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga qualification round – North | 3rd |
| Ligapokal – North/East | 3rd — Quarter finals | |
| 2013–14 | 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga qualification round – North | 3rd |
| Ligapokal – North/East | 1st — Quarter finals | |
| 2014–15 | 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga qualification round – North | 4th |
| Ligapokal — North/East | 2nd — Quarter finals | |
| 2015–16 | 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North | 7th |
References
- Welfen SC Heidberg e.V. (2004). 50 Jahre Rugby in Braunschweig. 1954 bis 2004 (in German). p. 5. Online version: 50 Jahre Rugby in Braunschweig. 1954 bis 2004 (in German) (Welfen SC Heidberg – 50 Years of rugby in Brunswick), accessed: 30 August 2014
- 50 Jahre Rugby in Braunschweig. 1954 bis 2004 (in German). p. 20.
- Hoffmeister, Kurt (2010). Zeitreise durch die Braunschweiger Sportgeschichte: 180 Jahre Turnen und Sport in Braunschweig (in German). p. 147.
- 50 Jahre Rugby in Braunschweig. 1954 bis 2004 (in German). p. 29.
- Hoffmeister (2010). p. 161.
- Hoffmeister (2010). p. 15.
- Hoffmeister, Kurt (1986). Meister und Medaillen. Braunschweigs Olympiasieger, Welt-, Europa-, Deutsche Meister 1946–1986 (in German). Stadtbibliothek Braunschweig. p. 64.
- RugbyWeb Ergebnisarchiv (in German) rugbyweb.de - Results archive, accessed: 27 August 2014
External links
- (in German) Official website
- (in German) Official website of TuRa Braunschweig
- (in German) Welfen SC Braunschweig at totalrugby.de