Eintracht Frankfurt Rugby

Lore & Background

Formed in 1923, Eintracht Frankfurt Rugby has for most of its history stood in the shadow of local rival SC 1880 Frankfurt. In 1931, Julius Fischer became the first Eintracht player to represent the German national rugby team. The club's first national success came in 1940, when it reached the German championship final, losing 6–19 to FV 1897 Linden. It made a second finals appearance in 1965, this time losing 12–17 to TSV Victoria Linden.

In 1971, Eintracht became a founding member of the southern division of the Rugby-Bundesliga. The club did not survive in the top division, eventually being relegated to the tier-three Rugby-Regionalliga Hesse. In the early 2000s, the team took part in the promotion round to the 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga South/West but did not succeed in achieving promotion, instead remaining a top-of-the-table side in the Regionalliga. It has won the local Hesse championship more than ten times since 1955.

From 2010 onward, Eintracht entered the new third division 3rd Liga South/West, where it played as a mid-table side. A league expansion saw the club return to the 2nd Bundesliga for 2012–13, finishing in the lower half of the table and qualifying for the play-offs for the Liga-Pokal, where it was knocked out in the first round by Welfen SC Braunschweig. The club qualified for the south-west division DRV-Pokal in 2013–14 but missed the play-offs after finishing last in its group. In 2014–15, it finished fifth in the south-west Liga-Pokal group and was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the play-offs after a 48–40 loss to RC Dresden.

Reader's Guide

Eintracht Frankfurt Rugby holds a notable place in German rugby history as a two-time national championship runner-up and a founding member of the Rugby-Bundesliga. Though it has never won the top-tier title, its appearances in the 1940 and 1965 finals mark it as one of the more persistent clubs in the country's rugby landscape. The club's long-standing rivalry with SC 1880 Frankfurt has shaped its identity, often competing in the shadow of that more successful local side. Its role in the early structure of the Bundesliga underscores its historical importance, even as it later settled into lower divisions. The club's multiple Hesse championships since 1955 demonstrate sustained regional strength, and its periodic attempts to return to higher levels—such as the promotion rounds in the early 2000s and the 2012–13 return to the 2nd Bundesliga—reflect a resilience typical of mid-tier German rugby clubs. Eintracht Frankfurt Rugby remains a fixture in the second tier, contributing to the sport's development in the Frankfurt region.

Did You Know?

• Eintracht Frankfurt Rugby was formed in 1923.
• Julius Fischer became the first Eintracht player to appear for the German national rugby team in 1931.
• The club lost the 1940 German championship final 6–19 to FV 1897 Linden.