Welcome to the Website for Rugby Club Winterthur.

 Training

 Mondays / Wednesdays 8.15 - 10:00 (1st / 2nd Team)
FCW Schützenweise Artificial Turf [5-10 min walk from Winti HB] Rennweg 5, 8400 Winterthur

 (Early / Late season may be different, please contact us rcwinti (at) gmail DOT com to be sure)

 History:

In 2009 three Frenchmen in a Pub decided to bring Rugby to the city of Winterthur in Switzerland.  Aided by plenty of beer they managed to sign up several of the patrons and to everyone's surprise these volunteers showed up for a chilly evening at Oberseen school for the club's first training.  Despite the cold these early pioneers quickly built enthusiasm for the game and within only a few short months and a single friendly match the club was ready to join the Swiss rugby league.  In September the club made the treck to Lugano to play their first ever league match, a glorious game which ended with a narrow 62-0 defeat.  However far from disheartened the players had now had a taste of the real thing and the following weekend, away to Bern II, Stefan Rückli made club history by becoming the first ever try scorer in a league match and, although Winterthur went on to lose 24-10, the passion for the game was growing stronger.

Early in 2010 Winterthur hosted the first ever rugby match to be held at the clubs home pitch at Deutweg.  Our guests were RC Ticino and, although Winti had lost 72-7 in the same fixture in Ticino, over 100 fans showed up to see a scintilating game where Winterthur was narrowly beaten at the death, 12-17, claiming their first ever league point.  The team was improving with every match and the following weekend Winterhtur hosted the Bern II's.  With over 50 supporters in fine voice Winterthur stunned the rugby world with a magical 23-10 win - their first ever victory and a bonus point as well!  Winterthur went on to record two more league victories that season and finished in a credible 5th place in the league.

The 2010/2011 season was a highly successful one for the club, improving on the 2009/10 position - only 3 points behind 1st, with a fantastic home record by Winterthur and aided by away wins against Bern, Baar and Eschen Mauer (Liechtenstein).  This was enough to earn promotion and the club moved up to the Swiss National League C (NLC) , ending the 2011/12 season 4th in the league.  

In 2013, after 2 seasons in the Swiss National League C and steady improvement, Winterthur finished 2nd and won a playoff against Würenlos to move up a league again into the Swiss National League B. 

In 2015, after 2 seasons in the Swiss National League B (NLB), Winterthur will be playing in the newly created NLB Elite division with ex NLA teams Basel, CERN; long time NLB teams Bern & Neuchatel and local rival Würenlos.

All this has been possible thanks to the commitment and work of the members, the local community and administrators and the club sponsors Paddy O'Brien's pub, TurmHaus Cancer Support Center, Scheco, Stadtguet.  However while no visiting team enjoys the now inevitable Deutweg beating they will recieve on the pitch, Winterthur's off pitch hospitality and friendly atmoshpere makes the trip to Deutweg an enjoyable one for all our guests.

If you're in the City check the game schedule and if you're lucky enough to be there during a home match, come on down and watch the world's greatest game as played in Switzerland then join us for a beer afterwards.

 Training and Playing:

 If you're living in Winterthur or nearby please feel free to join us at one of our training sessions on Monday or Wednesday evenings 20:15 at the FCW Schützenweise Artificial Turf  (5+ min walk from Winti Train Station) or come along to one of our home matches at the Deutweg sports ground (bus 3/5/14, stop Eisehalle).  Due to the Swiss weather the season is divided into halves with a winter break from mid-November to the end of Febuary (keep an eye on the website for exact details).

 For more information, to enquire about touring or to join our mailing list, please email us at Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein!

 Club Culture and Values:

Based in Winterthur, which is a part of the German language area of Switzerland, the club is passionate about developing rugby within the local community and supporting development of Swiss players.  As far as possible trainings and club activities are conducted in German, although we support any player who has trouble with the local language, and we have been involved already in training sessions with schools to bring the game to the attention of a future set of players.

Players from other countries are very welcome though and along with the Swiss locals we have had players from as far away as Australia, South America, Sri Lanka and New Zealand and our coaches come from New Zealand, Canada and Wales.  After matches we like to relax in Winterthur's local Irish Pub, Paddy O'Brien's, where during the season we often watch Heineken cup and 6-nations games.  Currently we play in the Swiss National League B and play several friendly matches each year where new players get the chance to stake a claim for the prized red and white jersey.  To gain this honour they must not only prove their skill on the pitch but demonstrate the global rugby values of discipline, endeavour and respect to both other players and the match officials who volunteer their time for our sport.

Check out our game schedule (Spielplan) or our picture gallery (Bilder).  Details on training can be found under Training and everything else from our main site (in German)

Come on down and join us!