Rudolf Finsterer (born 5 May 1951)Rudolf Finsterer profile at totalrugby.de accessed: 8 March 2010 is a retired German international rugby union player and coach, formerly coaching the RG Heidelberg in the Rugby-Bundesliga and, until the 20 March 2010, the German national rugby union team.Germany FIRA-AER website, accessed: 8 March 2010
Finsterer resigned from his position of coach of Germany at the end of the country's European Nation Cup campaign, after suffering defeat in every match and relegation.Rugby-Team steigt ab totalrugby.de, accessed: 20 March 2010 He was bitterly disappointed about the relegation, considering his ten years in the position of coach of Germany wasted.Deutschland steigt ab / Finsterer tritt zurück Rugby-Journal, published: 20 March 2010, accessed: 20 March 2010 He was succeeded by Torsten Schippe as coach of Germany,Torsten Schippe wird Trainer des 15er-Nationalteams Rugby-Journal, published: 11 July 2010, accessed: 26 July 2010 the very man he himself succeeded in 2001.26.04.08 - der vorläufige Höhepunkt eines Abenteuers totalrugby.de, published: 17 May 2008, accessed: 26 July 2010
Finsterer shared his duties as coach of Germany with Bruno StolorzSpain set down marker rugbyworldcup.com, published: 16 November 2008, accessed: 8 March 2010 from the RC Orléans. Stolorz was seconded to the German team by the Fédération française de rugby to improve Germany's performance in the sport.Mark Kuhlmann nicht mehr DRV-Nationaltrainer Rugby-Journal, published: 9 March 2009, accessed: 25 February 2010
On club level, Finsterer coached the RG Heidelberg since 2002, with an interruption in the 2008-09 season.TotalRugby Wechselbörse totalrugby.de, accessed: 8 March 2010 At the end of the 2010-11 season, he retired from coaching and instead stepped into the role of a team manager with RG Heidelberg.TotalRugby Wechselbörse 2011/2012 totalrugby.de, accessed: 21 August 2011
Finsterer lives in Mannheim and, while coach of Germany, worked under the Bundestrainer Peter Ianusevici, who holds a position of director of rugby in Germany.Die Mitarbeiter des DRV DRV website, accessed: 8 March 2010Aussie backpacker's debut victory Fox Sports, published: 27 November 2007, accessed: 5 March 2010
Coaching honours
Club German rugby union championship Champions: 2006, 2007 German rugby union cup Winner: 2004 Runners up: 2006, 2007, 2008
National team European Nations Cup - Division 2 Champions: 2008
References
External links Rudolf Finsterer at totalrugby.de