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British Army (Germany) Rugby History

There appears to be no records held of any matches played by units stationed in Germany after the First World War (1914-18), but that does not mean we can assume that no rugby was played during the ten year occupation of the northern Rhine by the British Army of the Rhine (1919-29).

In the aftermath of the Second World War (1939-45) a second British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) again occupied northern Germany and it was not long after its formation a Senior XV side played a BAOR Representative XV. When the Army Cup competition resumed in the 1946/47 season it was arranged that the final be played between the winning UK team and the champions of BAOR the arrangement became the norm after 1952.

After modest beginnings the BAOR Representative XV developed a fixture list which included: West Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark. Such fixtures have helped to generate an interest in the playing of rugby in those countries.

In 1992 as result of the end of the Cold War and troop reductions in Germany, BAOR was redesignated British Army (Germany) (BA(G), nevertheless rugby has continued to flourish.

BAOR Major Units Cup Statistics

 

Year Winners Runners-Up
1946 4th Bn Welch Regiment 5th Royal Tank Regiment
1947 Royal Horse Guards 2nd Royal Tank Regiment
1948 2nd Royal Tank Regiment HQ BAOR Camp
1949 1st Bn Parachure Regiment 42nd Field Regiment RA
1950 Royal Horse Guards 1st Bn Manchester Regiment
1951 1st Bn Welsh Guards 1st Bn York and Lancaster Regiment
1952 1st Bn Welsh Guards 1st Bn York and Lancaster Regiment
1953 1st Bn Welsh Guards 77th HAA Regiment RA
1954 1st Bn South Wales Borderers 6th Royal Tank Regiment
1955 1st Bn South Wales Borderers 1st Bn Royal Welch Fusiliers
1956 1st Bn Royal Welch Fusiliers 77th HAA Regiment RA
1957 1st Bn Welch Regiment 1st (BR) Corps Troops Col RASC
1958 1st (BR) Corps Troops Col RASC 3rd Royal Tank Regiment
1959 1st Bn The Royal Scots 7th Royal Tank Regiment
Year Winners Runners-Up
1960 1st Bn King’s Own Scottish Borders 1st Regiment RHA
1961 1st Bn King’s Own Scottish Borders 1st Bn Welsh Guards
1962 1st Bn Welsh Guards 1st Bn Welch Regiment
1963 1st Bn Welsh Guards 1st Bn Lancaster Fusiliers
1964 1st Bn Somerset & Cornwall Light Infantry 19th Regiment RA
1965 1st Bn Duke of Wellington’s Regt 1st Bn Somerset & Cornwall Light Infantry
1966 1st Bn Duke of Wellington’s Regt 2nd Royal Tank Regiment
1967 1st Bn Duke of Wellington’s Regt 7 Signal Regt Royal Signals
1968 1st Bn Duke of Wellington’s Regt 7 Signal Regt Royal Signals
1969 1st Bn South Wales Borderers 32nd Armd Regt Royal Engineers
1970 1st Bn Royal Regt Wales 7 Signal Regt Royal Signals
1971 1st Bn Welsh Guards 1st Div HQ & Sig Regiment
1972 1st Bn Royal Regt Wales 1st Bn Welsh Guards
1973 7 Signal Regt Royal Signals 49th Field Regiment RA
1974 7 Signal Regt Royal Signals 49th Field Regiment RA
1975 3rd BAPD RAOC 4th Div HQ & Sig Regiment
1976 1st Bn Royal Regt Wales 7 Signal Regt Royal Signals
1977 1st Bn Royal Regt Wales 3rd BAPD RAOC
1978 1st Bn Duke of Wellington’s Regt 7th Regiment RHA
1979 1st Bn Duke of Wellington’s Regt 1st Bn Welsh Guards
Year Winners Runners-Up
1980 3rd BAPD RAOC 7 Signal Regt Royal Signals
1981 7th Regt Royal Horse Artillery 7 Signal Regt Royal Signals
1982 21st Engineers Regt RE 7th Regt Royal Horse Artillery
1983 21st Engineer Regt RE 7th Regt Royal Horse Artillery
1984 7 Signal Regt Royal Signals 7th Regt Royal Horse Artillery
1985 1st Bn Royal Regt Wales 1st Bn Welsh Guards
1986 – 2006
2007 4 Scots 26 Regt RA
2008 ARRC Sp Bn 4 Scots
2009
2010 SCOTS DG QDG
2011 5 Rifles 23 Regt RA
2012 28 Engr Regt

Source
McLaren Lt Col J:The History of Army Rugby (Aldershot, The Army RFU, 1986)

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