The RC Rottweil is a German

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

club from

Rottweil Rottweil (; Alemannic: ''Rautweil'') is a town in southwest Germany in the state of Baden-Württemberg. Rottweil was a free imperial city for nearly 600 years. Located between the Black Forest and the Swabian Alps, Rottweil has nearly 25,000 in ...

Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...

, currently playing in the

2nd Rugby-Bundesliga The 2. Rugby-Bundesliga is the second-highest level of Germany's Rugby union league system, organised by the German Rugby Federation. Its set below the Rugby-Bundesliga, the top-tier of German rugby, and above the Rugby-Regionalliga, the third tie ...

History

Rugby was established in Rottweil in 1969 when it was introduced by former German international Günther Thiel at a local school. In the following year RC Rottweil was formed, which entered the

Rugby-Regionalliga The Rugby Regionalliga is the third-highest level of Germany's Rugby union league system, organised by the German Rugby Federation. It is set below the 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga and is organised in eight regional divisions. Since 2010, the ''Regiona ...

in 1971 and won the league championship in its first season there. After another Regionalliga championship the following year Rottweil played in the Rugby-Bundesliga for a season in 1973–74 but was relegated again immediately.Geschichte des Rugby Club Rottweil
RC Rottweil website – Club history, accessed: 26 April 2015 ''RCR'' won another Regionalliga title in 1975 and once more moved up to the Bundesliga. While the club was able to avoid relegation this time around it found the travel expenses to high and voluntarily withdrew to the Regionalliga again in 1976. Three more Regionalliga titles followed before the club decided to move up to the Bundesliga again in 1979. Rottweil spend the next six seasons at this level, the most successful era in the club's history. It managed to qualify for the play-offs on three occasions, in 1981, 1982 and 1985 but each time was knocked out in the quarter finals by clubs from

Hanover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...

. After an unsuccessful 1985–86 season the club was relegated from the Bundesliga once more but made a brief return in 1988. From 1992 to 1994 Rottweil played in the

, a new league slotted in between Bundesliga and Regionalliga. The club's fortunes declined from then on, neglecting its youth department and having to withdraw from league rugby altogether for a time. It restarted its youth program in 1996 and eventually was able to field a senior team again. From 2008 onwards RC Rottweil played in the Rugby-Regionalliga again and, in 2013, won promotion to the 2. Bundesliga once more. In 2013–14 and 2014–15 the club showed strong performances in the 2. Bundesliga, finishing runners-up to

Heidelberger TV The Heidelberger TV is a German rugby union club from Heidelberg, currently playing in the Rugby-Bundesliga. Apart from rugby, the club also offers other sports like basketball, tennis and badminton. The club has three German rugby union champio ...

in the south west division each season and losing the 2014 DRV-Pokal final to the latter.Tables & results from the German rugby union leagues
rugbyweb.de, accessed: 26 April 2015 In the 2014–15 season the club finished second in the south-west DRV-Pokal group and lost to Heidelberger TV in the final after a bye in the first round and victories over Berliner SV 92 Rugby and

RC Leipzig The RC Leipzig is a German rugby union club from Leipzig, currently playing in the Rugby-Bundesliga, the top tier of German rugby. The club, formed in 2004, traces its history back to the early 1950s, when a number of successful rugby clubs were ...

Honours

* DRV-Pokal ** Finalist: 2014, 2015

Recent seasons

Recent seasons of the club: * Until 2001, when the single-division Bundesliga was established, the season was divided in autumn and spring, a ''Vorrunde'' and ''Endrunde'', whereby the top teams of the Rugby-Bundesliga would play out the championship while the bottom teams together with the autumn 2nd Bundesliga champion would play for Bundesliga qualification. The remainder of the 2nd Bundesliga teams would play a spring round to determine the relegated clubs. Where two placing's are shown, the first is autumn, the second spring. In 2012 the Bundesliga was expanded from ten to 24 teams and the 2nd Bundesliga from 20 to 24 with the leagues divided into four regional divisions.

References

External links

Official website

RC Rottweil team info at totalrugby.de
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rottweil, Rc German rugby union clubs Rugby clubs established in 1970 Rugby union in Baden-Württemberg 1970 establishments in West Germany