Deutscher Sportverein Hannover gegr. 1878 e.V., known in competition as Hannover 78, is a multi-sport club in Hannover, Lower Saxony, Germany, with departments for leisure sport, hockey, rugby and tennis. As of August 2026, its rugby department has almost 200 members and its men's first team plays in the 1. Rugby-Bundesliga. The club's colours are blue and white.
History
The club was founded on 14 September 1878. Ferdinand Wilhelm Fricke, born on 11 October 1863, founded it at the age of 14 together with 24 others of his age as the "Deutscher Fußball-Verein Hannover gegründet 1878", which the club calls the first German club for field sports. In the mid-1880s the remnants of the "Germania" club and of the KWG club were absorbed into Hannover 78.
On 17 October 1883 the club met an English selection for the first time. The match was played under English rules that the Hannover side did not yet know, and sixteen Hannover players lost to twelve Englishmen. At Easter 1887 the club played its first away rugby matches, losing to Bremer FV 1881 in Bremen by two tries. In 1889 its teams first appeared in the blue and white that became the club's trademark: blue shirts, white shorts and blue socks.
On 12 April 1896 former members of the club's Abteilung C founded Hannoverscher Fußballclub von 1896. In October 1899 Fricke found a site "am Schnellen Graben", which became the club's sporting home from then on. In 1900 Hannover 96 opted for association football, while Hannover 78 stayed with football in its rugby form.
In 1913 the men reached the final of the German championship after winning their group unbeaten, but lost 0–3 to Frankfurt 80. The clubhouse was dedicated on 12 October 1924, and on 26 March 1929 the club took the name Deutscher Sportverein Hannover gegr. 1878. After the Second World War the club rebuilt its clubhouse, which was dedicated on 26 November 1949.
The men's fifteen won the German championship for the first time on 7 June 1964, beating St. Pauli Hamburg 11–0 in Offenbach. A second title followed on 9 June 1968, when the side coached by Robert Twele beat TSV Handschuhsheim 8–6 in Stuttgart. In 1970 the club won the 50th final of the German Rugby Federation's championship, 20–6 against RG Heidelberg. The rugby Bundesliga began play in 1971. In 1982 Hannover 78 beat RG Heidelberg 15–6 to become German champions for the fourth time.
By the club's count, 1983 was the most successful rugby year in its history: the men won the cup for the sixth time and the championship again, and the A-youth and C-pupils also became German champions. The men won cup and championship again in 1984, the championship in 1985 with a 24–6 win over RG Heidelberg, and the double in 1990, and took the club's ninth championship title in 1991. On 7 July 1996, as outsiders, they won the German cup final 17–9 against RG Heidelberg.
In the 2000s the club's rugby fifteen played as a combined team with Ricklingen 08, SG Hannover 78/08. In July 2005 it won promotion to the 1. Bundesliga, beating RK 03 Berlin 14–12 in a relegation play-off, and it was relegated again in 2007. In 2025/26 Hannover 78 finished fifth in the 1. Bundesliga, with nine wins and nine defeats from 18 matches, 403 points scored, 606 conceded and 47 table points. SC Frankfurt 1880 won the final, 35–10 against SC Neuenheim on 13 June 2026. Hannover 78 was scheduled to open the 2026/27 1. Bundesliga season away to Berliner RC on 5 September 2026.
Honours
Honours by the club's count:
- German champions, men: 1964, 1968, 1970, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1990, 1991
- German cup winners, men: 1969, 1972, 1974, 1979, 1983, 1984, 1990, 1996, among others
- German champions, A-youth: 1983
- German champions, C-pupils: 1983
- German champions, B-youth: 1984
- German championship final losses, men: 1913, 1928, 1966, 1999, 2000
- German cup final loss, men: 1970
- German sevens championship: third, 2025 (Dresden)
The men have won the German cup twelve times, made up of eleven German Rugby Federation cups and one league cup, though the running counts for 1996 and 1998 do not agree. In another account, the club has nine German championships and eleven cup successes.
At the 2026 Finals in Hannover, the club's sevens team beat Berliner SV 1892 22–0 and lost 5–14 to Frankfurt 80, narrowly missing the semi-finals, and then won the match for fifth place against RC Heusenstamm.
Ground
The club has played at its ground "am Schnellen Graben" since 1899. The grounds cover 50,000 square metres, with a clubhouse and sports facility at Ferdinand-Wilhelm-Fricke-Weg 2, near the Maschsee. They include a sports hall for hockey and tennis, nine tennis courts, an artificial-turf hockey stadium and a rugby stadium; both stadiums have floodlights. The site lies in a sports park close to the Heinz von Heiden Arena (formerly HDI Arena), at the end of Ferdinand-Wilhelm-Fricke-Weg. It can be reached by U-Bahn lines 3 or 7 to Stadionbrücke, by S-Bahn to Linden/Fischerhof, or by bus 100 to Stadionbad.
Teams and training
The rugby department lists a first and a second men's team, and youth groups from under-6 to under-14, along with beginners' training from age 15. Its youth also includes an under-16/under-18 group, and the club enters a sevens team. As of August 2026, the training times are:
| Team | Training |
|---|---|
| First men's team | Tuesday and Thursday 19:00–20:30 |
| Second men's team, with U16/U18 | Tuesday and Thursday 19:00–20:30 |
| U10, U12 | Tuesday and Thursday 17:15–18:45 |
| U6/U8 | Thursday 17:30–18:30 |
| U14 | Tuesday and Thursday, at Hannover 78 and at Germania List |
Youth training for the 2026/27 season restarted on 13 August 2026. For some teams the days, times or venues may differ. Confirm times with the club.
The rugby department invites players, coaches, physiotherapists and carers to get in touch, and the club asks anyone who wants to try one of its sports to contact its office first. From 1 May 2026 adult membership cost €37 a month (€111 a quarter), plus a parent-club levy of €2.50 a month, with no admission fee. Under a new fee structure from 1 January 2027, the adult rugby rate stays at €37 a month (€444 a year), made up of an €18 basic fee and a €19 rugby supplement, and a one-off admission fee of €18.78 is introduced.
Club life
The club refers to its men's rugby team as the "78er-Herren". The club calls itself committed to the sporting successes of its past, and treats them as a challenge.