Captain of the Schwarze Adler, The Germany (Inter)national rugby union team
We met up Thursday, July 19, 2024 at 11 am at Simon Fraser University
- How Old is Rugby in Germany?
Hassan: It’s always been around in one way or another
More details: Some people claim that Heidelberg’s Neuenheim College (now Heidelberg College) had the first game of rugby in Germany around 1850, but this was not well-documented. Rugby’s introduction to Germany is generally considered to have occurred later. The first known recorded game of rugby in Germany was played at Heidelberg University in the early 1900s.
The German Rugby Football Association (Deutscher Rugby-Verband or DRV) was established on November 4, 1900. It started as a separate division within the German Football Association (DFB) and was led by Fricke of DSV 1878 Hannover.
Exactly one year later, on November 4, 1901, the rugby association separated from the soccer body and continued independently as the German Rugby Federation (DRV).
The German national rugby team played its first international match in 1927, aligning with the history of rugby administration in Germany under the DRV.
2. How long have you played rugby with the Schwarze Adler?
Hassan: Since 2019
3. How long have you been the Captain?
Hassan: I am just a temporary Captain, because the Captain is at a wedding. Being a captain has some nice benefits, because I am the one who gets to talk to the referee.
4. Which club are you from?
Hassan: The Sports-Club Frankfurt.
More details: The Sport-Club Frankfurt 1880 e.V. (or SC 1880 Frankfurt) is a German sports club from Frankfurt am Main. The club is known for its rugby union team, which currently plays in the Rugby-Bundesliga, the highest level of the league system for rugby union in Germany.
5. Is rugby in Germany very popular? I didn’t even know that they had a team!
Hassan: Rugby is not as popular as football (soccer) in Germany and they are working hard to find support. Most importantly, they want to be able to qualify for the World Cup.
More details: The primary goal of the German national men’s rugby team is to improve their performance on the international stage and qualify for the Rugby World Cup. The team aims to increase the popularity of rugby within Germany and develop a stronger domestic rugby culture, which can provide a solid foundation for future success. This involves working on building a competitive squad, improving their rankings in European competitions like the Rugby Europe Championship, and securing a spot in the World Cup through the qualification process.
6. Where does German Rugby stand in Europe?
Hassan: Germany competed in the Rugby Europe Championship, which is below the Six Nations where England, France, and Italy compete. In the 2024 Rugby Europe Championship, Germany was in Pool A along with Georgia, Spain, and the Netherlands
More details: Rugby Europe is the governing body responsible for the promotion, development, administration and management of international competitions for the 48 member unions across Europe. The association organises over 80 international games and 20 rugby tournaments each year, among which Men’s fifteen-a-side European Championships (Championship, Trophy, Conference 1 & 2, Development), U20 and U18 European Championships and all Europe Men and Women Sevens Nations Competitions, including World Cup and Olympics Qualifiers
7. Has Germany ever qualified for a World Cup?
The German men’s national 15s team played their first international match in 1927 against France, but have yet to qualify for the Rugby World Cup. With the partition of Germany following the Second World War, the East and West fielded separate teams until the reunification of Germany in 1990..
8. When is the next World Cup?
Hassan: We want to qualify for the 2027 World Cup in Australia
More details: The 2027 Rugby World Cup will be held in Australia, marking the third time the country has hosted the tournament, with previous editions in 1987 (co-hosted with New Zealand) and 2003. The World Cup will follow the standard format with 20 teams participating, divided into four pools of five teams each. The top two teams from each pool will advance to the knockout stages, including the quarterfinals, semi-finals, and final. Australia’s successful bid to host the 2027 Rugby World Cup was announced in May 2022. The country has a rich rugby history and is known for its passionate rugby fanbase and strong national team, the Wallabies, who have won the World Cup twice (in 1991 and 1999).
9. Have you met the Vancouver Highlander’s yet?
Hassan: We have not seen them in person, but we were shown a video of one of their recent games.
10. Do you play the game in English or German?
Hassan: It depends. Some words we say in English and other words in German. Since 90% of the team speaks German, it is much easier for everyone to use German words.
11. I saw that you have two players on the team who share a last name. Are they related?
Hassan: Yes, they are brothers who came to us from South Africa, but not twins – Leo and Daniel Wolf.
Editors Note: The Vancouver Highlanders have two sets of twins playing rugby.
12. Have you been to Canada before?
Hassan: I have never been anywhere in North or South America before. I am very excited about being here and going to downtown Vancouver and just walking around. We will all be given some free time to play tourist.
13. Did you cheer for Germany in the European Championships held recently?
Hassan: Of course. In Germany, you watch soccer. There is a river flowing through Frankfurt, where 1000’s of soccer fans watched the game together, almost going crazy. Rugby is not like that.
More details: During UEFA EURO 2024, the banks of the River Main in Frankfurt were transformed into a vibrant fan zone full of exciting events and activities. The UEFA EURO football tournament followed its motto to the very letter: “United by Football. United in the Heart of Europe”. The games of the tournament that took place from 14th June to 14th July 2024, were spread out across ten German host cities, with a total of five matches being held at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt.
Football was not only shown in the stadium, however: The entire city of Frankfurt was immersed in football fever. All those not attending the matches held at Frankfurt’s football stadium but with plenty of enthusiasm for the games on offer were encouraged to visit the official Fan Zone Mainufer.
This 1.4 kilometre long area offered plenty of seating, food and drink stands, special activities and much, much more. Football fans and even those who simply wanted to absorb that special football feeling found it along the banks of the River Main.
14. Who do you think is going to win the game?
Hassan: It is hard to tell, but it doesn’t really matter, as we are happy to be able to play the game and get a lot of practice time in as a team. Our goal is to qualify for the next World Cup.
15. Where are you staying in Vancouver?
Hassan: We are staying at SFU (Simon Fraser University) in the dorms and it is great not to have to go far to practice. We are playing on the Terry Fox Field, which is great, except I prefer natural turf vs. artificial turf.
More details: SFU Stadium at Terry Fox Field is a multi-purpose sport field on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, British Columbia. It serves as the home field of the Simon Fraser University Red Leafs for association football, Canadian football (before 2010 season) and American football (from 2010 season to end of program) matches.
In 2021, a permanent grandstand with seating for 1,823 spectators (and room for 1,000 temporary bleachers which can be used when needed), was added.
16. What is the furthest you ever have travelled to play rugby?
Hassan: Either here are Hong Kong. I am not exactly sure, which is further away from Germany?
More details: Vancouver, BC, is farther from Germany than Hong Kong.
Here’s a rough comparison of the distances:
– Germany to Hong Kong: Approximately 9,500 kilometers (5,900 miles).
– Germany to Vancouver, BC: Approximately 9,800 kilometers (6,100 miles).
The distances can vary slightly depending on the specific cities and flight paths, but generally, Vancouver is farther from Germany than Hong Kong.
17. Do you play rugby full time?
Hassan: I work in construction. Some people on the team are students and are still writing exams. Some people had to take holidays in order to come here to play.
Some Basic FAQ’s
- When Was the First National Competition?
The first national competition was organised in 1900, when on 4 November a South versus North game was held, won 11–3 by northern Germany. This annual game became a fixture until 1967, when it was replaced by a state championship.
- How many people play rugby?
In 2023 there were 20,072 players registered with the German Rugby Federation and 40,470 players in all, according to World Rugby.
- What is the object of the game of rugby?
The game’s objective is to score as many points as possible against an opposing team by carrying, passing, kicking and grounding the ball, according to the laws of the game, its sporting spirit and fair play.
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