Rugby In Austria: A National Team Overview

Rugby in Austria is a minor but growing sport, with a long history dating back to 1900. The Austrian national rugby team is currently ranked 79th in the world, and has been playing international rugby since the early 1990s. The team has yet to make an appearance at the World Cup, but has competed in the Central Europe Development Tri-Nations and the European Nations Cup. The Austrian Rugby Federation can be found at www.rugby-austria.at, and the governing body for rugby in Austria is Rugby Österreich.

Austria's national rugby team

Austria does have a national rugby team. The sport has a long history in the country, dating back to 1900, but its development was hindered by the two world wars and the rise of far-right movements in the early 20th century. The first documented game of rugby played in Austria took place on 14 April 1912, introduced by two Englishmen.

Rugby union in Austria is a minor but growing sport, with a particular stronghold among students, especially in Vienna. The national team is currently ranked 79th in the World Rugby rankings, which only rank the top 95 countries. They began playing international rugby in the early 1990s and have yet to qualify for a World Cup. Austria's first international match was against Hungary on 3 May 1992, which they lost 23-9. Their first win came against Slovenia later that year, with a score of 9-5.

In the early years, the Austrian national team struggled, losing to European sides such as Hungary, Slovenia, and Croatia. However, they improved significantly from 1996 onwards, beating many of the teams that had previously defeated them. During the 2000s, Austria expanded their horizons, playing a wider range of nations. After a winless 2002, Austria bounced back in 2004, winning every fixture and remaining undefeated until their streak was broken by Denmark in 2005.

The Austrian national rugby league team was created to promote the spread of rugby league football throughout Central Europe. They have played matches against various European countries and participated in the Central Europe Development Tri-Nations in 2006, alongside Germany and Estonia.

Austria's rugby world cup appearances

Austria does have a national rugby union team, but the sport is considered minor in the country. The team is currently ranked 79th in the world, according to World Rugby's world rankings, which only ranks the top 95 countries.

Austria has never appeared at a Rugby World Cup. The nation began playing international rugby in the early 1990s and has been working to grow the sport.

The first documented game of rugby played in Austria took place on 14 April 1912, when two Englishmen brought the sport to the country. However, it took over 60 years for rugby to gain a foothold in Austria. The game's English image meant that its development was hindered by the two world wars and the rise of far-right movements in the early 20th century.

Rugby union in Austria has faced fierce competition from soccer and skiing, which are more popular sports in the country. However, there is a strong rugby tradition among students, particularly in Vienna. The governing body for rugby in Austria, Rugby Österreich, was founded in 1990, and the country joined the International Rugby Board in 1992.

Austria's first official international rugby match was played on 3 May 1992 against Hungary, which Austria lost 23-9. They played Hungary again later that year in their first home game and lost 5-3. Austria's first international win came against Slovenia on 21 November 1992, with a score of 9-5.

Austria has continued to develop as a rugby nation, winning more games and playing a larger variety of nations in the 2000s. They achieved an undefeated streak in 2004, winning every fixture, which was broken by Denmark in 2005.

Austrian rugby's history

Rugby in Austria is a minor but growing sport, with a surprisingly long history. The game was first brought to the country by two Englishmen in 1900, with the first documented game of rugby taking place on 14 April 1912. However, it took over sixty years for rugby union to establish itself in Austria, with the sport facing competition from soccer and skiing, as well as its development being hindered by the two world wars.

A 1930 game between two French sides in Vienna attracted 10,000 spectators, demonstrating a significant interest in the sport. The post-war period saw a revival in Austrian rugby, partly due to the presence of foreign military personnel in the country. In 1946, matches were played by the BTA (British Troops Austria) XV in Vienna and elsewhere.

The Austrian Rugby Federation (ÖRV) was founded in 1990 and joined the International Rugby Board (IRB) in 1992. The national rugby union team began playing international rugby in the early 1990s and is currently ranked 79th in the World Rugby rankings.

Austria played its first official international match on 3 May 1992 against Hungary, losing 23-9. Their first win came against Slovenia on 21 November 1992, with a score of 9-5. From 1996 onwards, Austria began to win more games, beating European sides that had previously defeated them. During the 2000s, Austria played a wider variety of nations and enjoyed an undefeated streak in 2004.

The main international rivals of the Austrian team are neighbouring countries Germany and Hungary. Austrian club teams also compete in the neighbouring German leagues, and some players from Austria represent local German teams. The Austrian national rugby league team was created to continue the spread of rugby league football throughout Central Europe.

Austrian rugby clubs

Rugby union in Austria is a minor but growing sport, with a long history dating back to 1900. The Austrian national rugby union team is ranked 79th in the world, as of 16 January 2023.

The governing body for rugby in Austria is Rugby Österreich, which was founded in 1990 and joined the International Rugby Board (IRB) in 1992. The Austrian Rugby Federation can be found at www.rugby-austria.at. The Austrian Rugby Webportal is a useful resource for those looking to join a rugby club in Austria, offering information on clubs and low-priced webhosting packages to help clubs get online.

Rugby has traditionally been most popular amongst students, particularly in Vienna, but has faced competition from soccer and skiing. The first documented game of rugby played in Austria took place on 14 April 1912, organised by two Englishmen hoping to expand the sport. A match between two French teams in Vienna in 1930 drew 10,000 spectators, demonstrating the interest in the sport.

Austrian rugby saw a revival in the post-war period, influenced by foreign military personnel based in the country. Matches were played by the BTA (British Troops Austria) XV in Vienna and elsewhere. Austrian club teams sometimes compete in neighbouring German leagues, and some players from Austria join local German teams. For example, the Bavarian team RFC Bad Reichenhall has many players from the neighbouring Austrian city of Salzburg.

Austrian rugby's governing body

Rugby union in Austria is a minor but growing sport. The Austrian rugby team is currently ranked 79th in the world, according to World Rugby's rankings, which only ranks the top 95 countries. The Austrian national rugby league team was created to continue the spread of rugby league football throughout Central Europe.

The governing body for rugby union in Austria is the Austrian Rugby Federation (German: Österreichischer Rugby Verband). The Federation is also known as Rugby Österreich, which was founded in 1990 and joined the International Rugby Board (IRB) in 1992. The first documented rugby game played in Austria took place on 14 April 1912, introduced by two Englishmen. However, it took over 60 years for rugby to become established in the country. Vienna Celtic RFC, founded in 1978, was the first rugby union club in Austria.

Austrian rugby has traditionally been most popular among students, especially in Vienna. However, it has struggled to compete with more established sports like soccer and skiing. The country's first international rugby match was played on 3 May 1992, against Hungary, which Austria lost 23-9. Austria played Hungary again later that year in their first home game, losing 5-3. Austria's first international win came against Slovenia on 21 November 1992, with a score of 9-5.

In the early 1990s, former Italian cap Dr Giancarlo Tizanini attempted to establish a Central European equivalent of the Six Nations, including Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia. Although Austria has yet to qualify for the World Cup, the sport is growing, with Austrian club teams now competing in neighbouring German leagues.

Frequently asked questions