The FC Schwalbe Hannover is a German rugby union club from Hanover, until recently playing in the Rugby-Regionalliga Lower Saxony. Apart from rugby, the club also offers other sports like tennis, basketball and boxing. It is based in the Döhren suburb of Hanover and is the biggest sporting club there.Willkommen beim FC Schwalbe! FCS website, accessed: 13 April 2010
FC Schwalbe has three German rugby union championship to its name, won in 1923, 1926 and 1936 but has not reached a final since.Die Deutschen Meister der Männer DRV website - German rugby union champions (men), accessed: 13 April 2010
The term Schwalbe is the German word for swallow.
History FC Schwalbe was formed in 1899 as a rugby club, despite the Fussball Club in its name. It took its name from the swallows that were at home in the area around its first playing field.Ein Fußballklub (ohne) Fußball? FCS website - A football club without football?, accessed: 13 April 2010
Schwalbe reached its first German championship final in 1923, which it won 6-3, beating the SC Neuenheim. Another title followed in 1926, this time an 8-0 victory against SC 1880 Frankfurt. The club's third and final triumph came in 1936, when they beat Neuenheim once more, 11-0 on this occasion.
The club was never able to achieve on a similar level again. In 2003, it won promotion to the tier-two 2nd Bundesliga, but was only able to survive at this level for one season, finishing last and being relegated again. After this, it formed a partnership with DRC Hannover and Schwalbe fielded a combined side, together with DRC's reserve team.
In 2008, Schwalbe took out the title in the Rugby-Regionalliga Lower Saxony and then beat SC Siemensstadt on average in the promotion round, winning 19-0 at home and losing 7-16 away.Rugby Spielpläne - Archiv 2007/2008 - Aufstiegsrunde Nordost rugbyweb.de, accessed: 13 April 2010 This entitled the team to play in the 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East in 2008-09, where the club lost every game except one, which was a draw, and withdrew its team three rounds from the end.Rugby Spielpläne - Archiv 2008/2009 - 2. Bundesliga Nord rugbyweb.de, accessed: 13 April 2010
Relegated from the second division, the partnership between Schwalbe and DRC was terminated and the club now fields an independent team again in the Regionalliga, first in Lower Saxony and then in the Regionalliga North. In the 2012–13 season the club does not field a senior men's team.
Club honours German rugby union championship Champions: 1923, 1926, 1936
Recent seasons Recent seasons of the club:RugbyWeb Ergebnisarchiv rugbyweb.de - Results archive, accessed: 24 July 2012 Year Division Position 2001-02 2002-03 Rugby-Regionalliga Lower Saxony (III) 2nd — Promoted 2003-04 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East (II) 7th — Relegated 2004-05 2005-06 Rugby-Regionalliga Lower Saxony North/East championship round 2nd 2006–07 Rugby-Regionalliga Lower Saxony 2nd North/East championship round 5th 2007–08 Rugby-Regionalliga Lower Saxony (III) 1st — Promoted 2008–09 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North/East (II) 10th — Relegated 2009–10 Rugby-Regionalliga Lower Saxony (III) 1st 2010–11 Rugby-Regionalliga North (III) 5th 2011–12 Rugby-Regionalliga North 7th From mid-2000s to 2009, the club played as SG Schwalbe/DRC Hannover II, which was a combined team of FC Schwalbe and the reserve team of DRC Hannover.
References
External links Official website FC Schwalbe Hannover club info at totalrugby.de