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)