RC Unterföhring explained

Teamname:Rugby Club Unterföhring
Fullname:Rugby Club Unterföhring e.V.
Countryflag:Germany
Founded:21 June 2012
Ground:RC Unterföhring Rugby Park
Chairman: Steve Kotza
Coach: Robbie Johnston
Captain: Linus Kurz
Season:2023-2024
Position:3rd
Url:www.rugby-unterfoehring.de

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]

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

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

The RCU plays their home games on the rugby pitch in Unterföhring am Etzweg.

Honours

Seniors:

Youth

Recent seasons

Men

First team

YearDivisionPosition
2012-13Rugby-Regionalliga Bavaria (IV)7th[7]
2013-14Rugby-Regionalliga Bavaria (IV)6th[8]
2014-15Rugby-Regionalliga Bavaria (III)6th[9]
2015–16Rugby-Regionalliga Bavaria2nd[10]
2016 playoff2nd Rugby-Bundesliga Southlost[11]
2016–17Rugby-Regionalliga Bavaria2nd promoted
2017-182nd Rugby-Bundesliga South5th
2018-192nd Rugby-Bundesliga South5th
2019-202nd Rugby-Bundesliga Southcancelled due to COVID-19-outbreak
2020-212nd Rugby-Bundesliga Southcancelled due to COVID-19-outbreak
2021-222nd Rugby-Bundesliga South5th
2022-232nd Rugby-Bundesliga South2nd (best season so far)

Reserve team

YearDivisionPosition
2012-13Rugby-Verbandsliga Bavaria (V)4th[12]
2013-14Rugby-Verbandsliga Bavaria (V)6th[13]
2016-17Rugby-Verbandsliga Bavaria North (IV)3rd[14]
2017-18Rugby-Verbandsliga Bavaria South (IV)4th[15]
2018-19Rugby-Verbandsliga Bavaria (IV)8th[16]
2019-20Rugby-Verbandsliga Bavaria (IV)cancelled due to COVID-19 outbreak
2020-21Rugby-Verbandsliga Bavaria (IV)cancelled due to COVID-19 outbreak
2022-23Rugby-Verbandsliga South Bavaria (IV)3rd

Women

YearDivisionPosition
2017 - 2018Rugby-7s Division South (I)10th[17]
2018 - 2019Rugby-7s Division South (I)4th[18]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Aufstieg als Sahnehäubchen.
  2. http://www.wochenanzeiger.de/article/156642.html Newspaper, accessed: 06 July 2016
  3. Web site: TotalRugby - RC Unterföhring verpasst faustdicke Überraschung.
  4. Web site: TotalRugby - die Jugendförderer: Welche Klubs haben den stärksten Nachwuchs?.
  5. Web site: Unterföhringer Ambitionen: "Allermindestens Platz drei" .
  6. Web site: Rugby Club Unterföhring on LinkedIn: Ex-All Black und aktueller Queensland Reds Assistant Coach Kane Hames… .
  7. http://www.rugbyweb.de/index.php?archive=2012-13&league=324 rugbyweb.de - Results archive, accessed: 03 April 2014
  8. http://rugbyweb.de/index.php?archive=2013-14&league=391 rugbyweb.de - Results archive, accessed: 30 June 2014
  9. http://rugbyweb.de/index.php?archive=2014-15&league=451 rugbyweb.de - Results archive, accessed: 6 July 2016
  10. http://rugbyweb.de/index.php?archive=2014-15&league=491 rugbyweb.de - Results archive, accessed: 6 July 2016
  11. http://rugbyweb.de/index.php?archive=2015-16&league=497 rugbyweb.de - Results archive, accessed: 26 September 2016
  12. http://www.rugbyweb.de/index.php?archive=2012-13&league=331 rugbyweb.de - Results archive, accessed: 03 April 2014
  13. http://rugbyweb.de/index.php?archive=2013-14&league=392 rugbyweb.de - Results archive, accessed: 26 September 2016
  14. https://rugbyweb.de/index.php?le=548 rugbyweb.de - Results archive, accessed: 20 May 2019
  15. https://rugbyweb.de/index.php?archive=2017-18&league=628 rugbyweb.de - Results archive, accessed: 20 May 2019
  16. https://rugbyweb.de/index.php?le=696 rugbyweb.de - Results archive, accessed: 17 June 2020
  17. https://rugbyweb.de/index.php?le=613 rugbyweb.de - Results archive, accessed: 20 May 2019
  18. Web site: RugbyWeb Spielpläne - 718.