Rugby-Welfen Braunschweig

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Welfen Braunschweig
Full nameRugby Welfen Braunschweig (beim TuRa e.V. 1865)
UnionGerman Rugby Federation
Founded27 January 1954; 70 years ago (1954-01-27)
1865 (parent club)
LocationBraunschweig, Germany
Ground(s)Am Bienroder Weg
Rote Wiese (until 2014)
League(s)2. Rugby-Bundesliga (II)
2015–162. Rugby-Bundesliga North, 7th
Official website
www.rugby-braunschweig.de

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.

History

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Former logo

Post SV Braunschweig

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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

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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

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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

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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

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  1. ^ 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
  2. ^ 50 Jahre Rugby in Braunschweig. 1954 bis 2004 (in German). p. 20.
  3. ^ Hoffmeister, Kurt (2010). Zeitreise durch die Braunschweiger Sportgeschichte: 180 Jahre Turnen und Sport in Braunschweig (in German). p. 147.
  4. ^ 50 Jahre Rugby in Braunschweig. 1954 bis 2004 (in German). p. 29.
  5. ^ Hoffmeister (2010). p. 161.
  6. ^ Hoffmeister (2010). p. 15.
  7. ^ Hoffmeister, Kurt (1986). Meister und Medaillen. Braunschweigs Olympiasieger, Welt-, Europa-, Deutsche Meister 1946–1986 (in German). Stadtbibliothek Braunschweig. p. 64.
  8. ^ RugbyWeb Ergebnisarchiv (in German) rugbyweb.de - Results archive, accessed: 27 August 2014
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