The German team has, for the most part, played in the B-Division of the European Under-18 Rugby Union Championship, however, it earned promotion to the A-Division in 2009.
The German team earned promotion to the A division of the European championship at the 2009 tournament in southern France. It had won promotion to the elite division of European under-18 rugby for the first time in many years.[1] Germany beat Portugal 11-3 in the final of the B tournament to clinch promotion.[2]
The German team took part in the tournament with the following squad:[3]
In the 2010 edition of the European under-18 rugby union championship, the team, freshly promoted to the A group, pulled off a surprise 44-0 victory over Romania. Germany lost its opening game to eventual runners-up Ireland 20-11, but managed to win its second game, against Romania, 44-0. In its third and final game in the tournament, against Italy for fifth place, Germany lost 18-13.[4]Chris Thau, Publications Manager of the IRB,[5] commented after the Romania game that it was the first time in the almost 40 years he had been watching German national teams, that a German team played world class rugby.[6]
The German team, coached by Jan Ceselka (TSV Handschuhsheim) and Christian Lill (RK 03 Berlin), took part in the tournament with the following squad:[7]
Germany won its opening game of the 2011, defeating Belgium 27-11 and thereby achieving the teams aim of not being relegated.[8] The team then suffered a heavy 3-87 defeat against Scotland, a game that clearly showed the difference between the standards of rugby between the two nations.[9] In the final game of the tournament, Germany lost 0-40 to Georgia and finished fourth in its division.
Germany called up the following players for the 2011 tournament:[10]
Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
Ireland
Romania
Italy
Belgium
Scotland
Georgia
Czech Republic
Spain
Russia
Luxembourg