# German Rugby Union Cup

The German Rugby Union Cup (German: DRV-Pokal) is the premier cup competition for men in the sport of Rugby Union in Germany.
In October 2009, it was proposed to discontinue both men's cup competitions after 2010, meaning, both the DRV-Pokal and the league cup were not to be played anymore after this season. However, this proposal was initially not carried out but neither competition was held in 2011–12. The DRV-Pokal however returned in 2012–13, now contested by the Bundesliga teams not qualified for the second round of the season and the best 2nd Bundesliga teams.

## History

The DRV-Pokal was established in 1962 under the guidance of the chairman of the DRV, Heinz Reinhold. Originally, the trophy for the winner was a picture of the Brandenburg Gate, an important symbol of the Cold War days in Germany.
In October 2010, the board of the German rugby federation proposed to discontinue both cup competitions after 2010. This decision required formal approval at the annual conference of the DRV, which was not granted.

## Modus

In 2008-09, 16 teams took part in the final rounds of the competition, played in knock-out format. The games are played as single rounds with one club having the home advantage. The final was played on 1 May 2008.
In 2010-11, the competition was played in a different format, with four teams playing a final-four tournament in October 2010.
While not held in 2011–12 the competition returned in 2012–13, now contested between the worst-placed six Bundesliga teams after the first stage of the regular season and the best eight 2nd Bundesliga clubs.
After another league reform in 2015 the DRV-Pokal will now be contested by the Rugby-Bundesliga teams not qualified for the German championship, meaning the teams placed third to eighth in each of the two regional divisions.

## 2016–17 DRV-Pokal

The first round:
* 5 November 2016
| RG Heidelberg | 100–0 | TSV Victoria Linden |
* 5 November 2016
| SC Neuenheim | 34–5 | RC Leipzig |
* 5 November 2016
| FC St. Pauli | 3–40 | DSV 78 Hannover |
* 5 November 2016
| RK Heusenstamm | 50–0 | RC Luxembourg |
* 5 November 2016
| RK 03 Berlin | 45–10 | Hamburger RC |
* 5 November 2016
| SC Germania List | 21-25 | SC 1880 Frankfurt |
* 5 November 2016
| TV Pforzheim | 25–10 | TSV Handschuhsheim |
* 5 November 2016
| Berliner Rugby Club | 9-45 | Heidelberger RK |
The quarter finals:
| Quarter final | Quarter final | Quarter final | Semi final | Semi final | Semi final | Final | Final | Final |
| DSV 78 Hannover | DSV 78 Hannover | 23 | | | | | | |
| RG Heidelberg | RG Heidelberg | 21 | | | | | | |
| RG Heidelberg | RG Heidelberg | 21 | DSV 78 Hannover | DSV 78 Hannover | 19 | | | |
| | | | SC 1880 Frankfurt | SC 1880 Frankfurt | 27 | | | |
| RK Heusenstamm | RK Heusenstamm | 17 | SC 1880 Frankfurt | SC 1880 Frankfurt | 27 | | | |
| SC 1880 Frankfurt | SC 1880 Frankfurt | 35 | | | | | | |
| SC 1880 Frankfurt | SC 1880 Frankfurt | 35 | | | | SC 1880 Frankfurt | SC 1880 Frankfurt | 18 |
| | | | | | | TV Pforzheim | TV Pforzheim | 50 |
| Heidelberger RK | Heidelberger RK | 8 | | | | | | | TV Pforzheim | TV Pforzheim | 50 |
| SC Neuenheim | SC Neuenheim | 23 | | | | | | |
| SC Neuenheim | SC Neuenheim | 23 | SC Neuenheim | SC Neuenheim | 16 | | | |
| | | | TV Pforzheim | TV Pforzheim | 83 | | | |
| TV Pforzheim | TV Pforzheim | 25 | TV Pforzheim | TV Pforzheim | 83 | | | |
| TSV Handschuhsheim | TSV Handschuhsheim | 10 | | | | | | |

## 2015–16 DRV-Pokal

The remaining twelve Bundesliga clubs not qualified for the championship play-off entered the DRV-Pokal, the premier rugby union cup competition in Germany. The teams placed third and fourth received a bye for the first round:
The first round saw the teams placed fifth to eighth drawn against each other:
* 14 May 2016
| FC St. Pauli Rugby | 7–44 | RK Heusenstamm |
* 15 May 2016
| Hamburger RC | 3–45 | SC 1880 Frankfurt |
* 14 May 2016
| RC Leipzig | 50–0 | RU Hohen Neuendorf |
* 14 May 2016
| ASV Köln Rugby | 0–67 | TSV Handschuhsheim |
For the quarter-finals teams were not seeded, with the clubs placed third and fourth entering the competition. The quarter finals were scheduled for 4 and 5 June, the semi-finals for 11 and 12 June and the final for 26 June:
| Quarter final | Quarter final | Quarter final | Semi final | Semi final | Semi final | Final | Final | Final |
| RK Heusenstamm | RK Heusenstamm | 25 | | | | | | |
| SC Neuenheim | SC Neuenheim | 38 | | | | | | |
| SC Neuenheim | SC Neuenheim | 38 | SC Neuenheim | SC Neuenheim | 29 | | | |
| | | | RG Heidelberg | RG Heidelberg | 13 | | | |
| RG Heidelberg | RG Heidelberg | 34 | RG Heidelberg | RG Heidelberg | 13 | | | |
| DSV 78 Hannover | DSV 78 Hannover | 7 | | | | | | |
| DSV 78 Hannover | DSV 78 Hannover | 7 | | | | SC Neuenheim | SC Neuenheim | 16 |
| | | | | | | TSV Handschuhsheim | TSV Handschuhsheim | 14 |
| SC 1880 Frankfurt | SC 1880 Frankfurt | 59 | | | | | | | TSV Handschuhsheim | TSV Handschuhsheim | 14 |
| RC Leipzig | RC Leipzig | 7 | | | | | | |
| RC Leipzig | RC Leipzig | 7 | SC 1880 Frankfurt | SC 1880 Frankfurt | 10 | | | |
| | | | TSV Handschuhsheim | TSV Handschuhsheim | 21 | | | |
| TSV Handschuhsheim | TSV Handschuhsheim | 50 | TSV Handschuhsheim | TSV Handschuhsheim | 21 | | | |
| Berliner Rugby Club | Berliner Rugby Club | 3 | | | | | | |

## Cup finals

The finals of the competition:
| Season | Winner | Runner–Up | Result |
| 1961–62 | SV Odin Hannover | TSV Victoria Linden | 3–0 |
| 1962–63 | SV Odin Hannover | TSV Victoria Linden | 0–0 $^1$ |
| 1963–64 | SC Neuenheim | TSV Victoria Linden | 9–6 |
| 1964–65 | TSV Victoria Linden | VfR Döhren | 9–3 |
| 1965–66 | TSV Victoria Linden | SC Elite Hannover | 11–9 |
| 1966–67 | RG Heidelberg | SV Odin Hannover | 9–3 |
| 1967–68 | SC Germania List | SV Odin Hannover | 11–9 |
| 1968–69 | DSV 78 Hannover | TSV Victoria Linden | 9–6 |
| 1969–70 | SV 08 Ricklingen | DSV 78 Hannover | 14–11 |
| 1970–71 | SC Germania List | TSV Victoria Linden | 15–0 |
| 1971–72 | DSV 78 Hannover | TSV Victoria Linden | 17–7 |
| 1972–73 | Heidelberger RK | DSV 78 Hannover | 18–9 |
| 1973–74 | DSV 78 Hannover | RG Heidelberg | 17–3 |
| 1974–75 | SC Neuenheim | RG Heidelberg | 15–0 |
| 1975–76 | Heidelberger RK | TSV Victoria Linden | 36–6 |
| 1976–77 | SC Germania List | RG Heidelberg | 22–6 |
| 1977–78 | SV 08 Ricklingen | TSV Handschuhsheim | 6–0 |
| 1978–79 | DSV 78 Hannover | FV 1897 Linden | 16–3 |
| 1979–80 | SC Germania List | RG Heidelberg | 7–3 |
| 1980–81 | DSV 78 Hannover | DRC Hannover | 28–12 |
| 1981–82 | TSV Victoria Linden | RG Heidelberg | 9–3 |
| 1982–83 | DSV 78 Hannover | Berliner RC | 17–3 |
| 1983–84 | DSV 78 Hannover | SV 08 Ricklingen | 14–10 |
| 1984–85 | DSV 78 Hannover | TSV Victoria Linden | 9–3 |
| 1985–86 | RG Heidelberg | DRC Hannover | 13–3 |
| 1986–87 | not held | not held | not held |
| 1987–88 | SC Neuenheim | Berliner RC | 16–0 |
| 1988–89 | TSV Victoria Linden | SV 08 Ricklingen | 13–9 |
| 1989–90 | DSV 78 Hannover | RG Heidelberg | 13–6 |
| 1990–91 | TSV Victoria Linden | SC Neuenheim | 14–10 |
| 1991–92 | TSV Victoria Linden | SC Neuenheim | 9–6 |
| 1992–93 | TSV Victoria Linden | DSV 78 Hannover | 15–12 |
| 1993–94 | SC Neuenheim | TSV Victoria Linden | 24–15 |
| 1994–95 | RG Heidelberg | SC Neuenheim | 26–6 |
| 1995–96 | DSV 78 Hannover | RG Heidelberg | 17–9 |
| 1996–97 | RG Heidelberg | DRC Hannover | 37–13 |
| 1997–98 | DSV 78 Hannover | SC Neuenheim | 29–23 |
| 1998–99 | SC Neuenheim | DSV 78 Hannover | 16–9 |
| 1999–2000 | SC Germania List | DSV 78 Hannover | 18–8 |
| 2000–01 | SC Neuenheim | TSV Victoria Linden | 25–7 |
| 2001–02 | DRC Hannover | SC Neuenheim | 18–11 |
| 2002–03 | DRC Hannover | Heidelberger RK | 68–3 |
| 2003–04 | RG Heidelberg | DRC Hannover | 23–20 |
| 2004–05 | TSV Handschuhsheim | DRC Hannover | 21–18 |
| 2005–06 | DRC Hannover | RG Heidelberg | 25–21 |
| 2006–07 | SC 1880 Frankfurt | RG Heidelberg | 18–13 |
| 2007–08 | TSV Handschuhsheim | RG Heidelberg | 24–23 |
| 2008–09 | SC 1880 Frankfurt | TSV Handschuhsheim | 56–24 |
| 2009–10 | SC 1880 Frankfurt | SC Neuenheim | 20–12 |
| 2010–11 | Heidelberger RK | SC 1880 Frankfurt | 29–0 |
| 2011–12 | not held | not held | not held |
| 2012–13 | TSV Handschuhsheim | Heidelberger TV | 42–10 |
| 2013–14 | Heidelberger TV | RC Rottweil | 11–5 |
| 2014–15 | Heidelberger TV | RC Rottweil | 30–12 |
| 2015–16 | SC Neuenheim | TSV Handschuhsheim | 16–14 |
| 2016–17 | TV Pforzheim | SC 1880 Frankfurt | 50–18 |
Source:"Die DRV-Pokalsieger". Deutscher Rugby Verband. Archived from the original on 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-12-29.
* $^1$ Victoria declined to take part in a rematch after a 0–0 score after extra time.

### Winners

As of 2016, this is the standing in the all–time winners list of the German cup:
| Club | Cup wins |
| DSV 78 Hannover | 11 |
| TSV Victoria Linden | 7 |
| SC Neuenheim | 7 |
| SC Germania List | 5 |
| RG Heidelberg | 5 |
| TSV Handschuhsheim | 3 |
| Heidelberger RK | 3 |
| SC 1880 Frankfurt | 3 |
| DRC Hannover | 3 |
| SV Odin Hannover | 2 |
| SV 08 Ricklingen | 2 |
| Heidelberger TV | 2 |
| TV Pforzheim | 1 |