Germany is actually the oldest rugby nation in continental Europe, with the game played there since the 1890s. However, the Second World War decimated the player base, and the subsequent separation and reunification projects overwhelmed governing bodies, preventing rugby from taking off as it did with neighbouring countries like France and Italy, who compete at the highest level in the men's Six Nations each February.
Historical Roots and Post-War Decline
Before the Second World War, Germany provided serious opposition for the French rugby team after France was excluded from the Five Nations championship in 1931 due to professionalism concerns. The Germans even beat France in 1938. Rugby was particularly popular in Heidelberg, Hanover, and Frankfurt. But the war destroyed rugby in Germany, with most of the national team killed. According to reader Barry J Hake, the sport never recovered its popularity, possibly because it was associated too much with Britain and France to attract postwar Germans.
Today, Germany has about 125 active clubs with more than 12,000 active players, organised into two national leagues and various regional leagues. The men's national team is ranked 35th in the world. In the Men's Rugby European Championship 2026, the top tier after the Six Nations, Germany finished eighth out of eight, behind Georgia, Portugal, Spain, Romania, Belgium, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.
Competition from Football and Handball
Several readers point to competition from other sports as a key factor. David Rossiter notes that rugby was never fully integrated into Germany's school or community systems, unlike in traditional rugby nations. Handball, which offers similar physicality and teamwork, occupies a similar space in German sports culture. Additionally, football's growth quickly outpaced rugby; by the time of the world wars, football was firmly established as the dominant team sport.
Glenn Cruddas explains that the British exported rugby through public schoolboys building the empire, while football spread via working-class engineers building railways. Germany followed the bottom-up path, influenced by footballers rather than rugby-playing colonisers. France, by contrast, imported rugby top-down after the Franco-Prussian war to improve military capabilities.
Regional Hotspots and Modern Challenges
Rugby thrives in specific pockets: Heidelberg, with five teams, is exclusively a rugby city; Munich has four teams; and Berlin has a growing scene. But elsewhere, clubs struggle. Harry Tanner, who moved to Germany to play for Neckarsulm Sport Union, reports that training started with 20 players but dropped to four by Christmas. Three men's teams have pulled out of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 in the last two seasons due to player departures.
Tanner also highlights a point system introduced by the German rugby board to focus on homegrown talent, limiting foreign imports. This has hindered small clubs reliant on expats. He notes that creating a women's team requires fighting other sports for interest and showing YouTube videos to introduce the sport.
East German Rugby and Post-Unification
Hendrik recalls playing in East Germany from the early 1980s to early 1990s. There were about 10 clubs around East Berlin, two in Leipzig, and one in Dessau, with two leagues. Everything was non-professional. After unification, rugby remained amateur with no media coverage, and non-fans often confuse it with American football.
Rob Hain, who played in Aachen in the 1980s and 1990s, notes that hurdles include lack of family tradition, competition from American football, and narrow-mindedness in allocating urban green spaces. The football lobby is strong and resists oval-ball sports.
Recent Growth and Potential
Despite challenges, interest is growing. A German TV channel started showing the Rugby World Cup live, which proved so popular that it now broadcasts international matches including the Six Nations. This has sparked an increase in club participation. Individual players like Anton Segner, who moved to New Zealand on a rugby scholarship in 2017, have made their mark; Segner debuted for the All Blacks against Italy on 11 July.
Reader Alex from Dorset, living in Berlin for 16 years, has seen rapidly growing interest with youth, men's, and women's teams. The men's national team has had recent success, winning the first leg of the Rugby Europe Sevens tournament in Hamburg last month, though the women finished fifth.
Conclusion: A Niche but Persistent Culture
As several readers emphasise, there is indeed a rugby culture in Germany, but it is small and centred around university cities and former occupation zones. The sport faces structural disadvantages, but with growing media coverage and grassroots enthusiasm, Germany has potential to become a significant force in European rugby, alongside emerging nations like Portugal and Georgia.
