Heidelberger Ruderklub 1872 e.V. (Heidelberger RK, HRK) is a rowing and rugby union club in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The club calls itself a rowing club and at the same time Germany's oldest rugby club. Rugby began as the rowers' winter sport; today the two sports are practised year-round and separately from each other. In 2025/26 the men's first team played in the 1. Bundesliga, and the women won the final of the Frauenbundesliga A.
History
On 9 May 1872 the members of the boat crew "Bismarck" founded the "Deutscher Flaggen-Club"; the club takes its founding date from this "Flaggenclub". The remaining members came together in 1875 as the "Heidelberger Ruder-Club".
The rugby department was later founded within the HRK by a member named Ullrich, who translated the rules of the game; by the club's count, this makes it Germany's oldest rugby club. In another account, it was founded in 1872 as a rowing and rugby club.
By the club's count, the men won German championships in 1927 and 1928, four in the 1970s and 1980s, and eight between 2010 and 2018. The men's team was relegated in 2022/23 after a period of upheaval and has since returned to the 1. Bundesliga with a much younger squad. In 2025/26 the men finished sixth in the 1. Bundesliga, with eight wins and ten defeats from 18 matches, 397 points scored, 626 conceded and 44 table points. The men play in the 2026/27 1. Bundesliga.
In April 2025 the women won a German championship final against SC Neuenheim on the HRK ground. In the 2025/26 Frauenbundesliga A, the women finished the regular season top and beat SC Neuenheim 90–5 in the final, played at SC Neuenheim on 2 May 2026. In sevens, the women became German champions again at the 2025 Finals in Dresden. In 2026 the women's sevens title went to SC Germania List, whom Heidelberger RK had beaten in the previous year's final.
Honours
Honours by the club's count:
- German champions, men's XV: 1927, 1928, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1986, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018
- German champions, women's XV: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
- Frauenbundesliga A, women: regular-season winners and final winners, 2025/26 (90–5 against SC Neuenheim)
- German sevens champions, women: 2025 (Dresden)
In August 2026 the club called its women the current German champions in both sevens and fifteens.
Ground
The club plays at Sportzentrum Süd, Harbigweg 14, 69124 Heidelberg, in Heidelberg-Kirchheim. The ground has a swimming pool for the summer months, a weight room with a sauna, and a modern covered artificial-turf pitch where children can train outdoors, sheltered from wind and weather. The clubhouse has its own bar and restaurant. The nearest stops are Meßplatz on tram line 26, an eight-minute walk, and Harbigweg on bus line 33, a two-minute walk. The club's registered address is Neuenheimer Landstrasse 3a, 69120 Heidelberg.
Teams and training
In 2025/26 the club fielded a men's first team in the 1. Bundesliga and a women's team in the Frauenbundesliga A. Its second men's team did not play in official competition in 2025/26. In youth rugby the club enters at least one team in every age group from under-8 to under-18. Under-15 girls play only sevens, as part of a combined Heidelberg team with other clubs in the city. A veterans' side, the Oldies, trains on Fridays and is a member of the European Veterans Rugby Association (EVRA).
As of August 2026, the training times are:
| Team | Training |
|---|---|
| Men's first team | Tuesday and Thursday 19:00–21:00 |
| Women | Monday, Wednesday and Friday 19:00–20:30 |
| Second men's team | Tuesday and Friday 19:00–20:30 |
As of August 2024, under-6 trial sessions were on Fridays from 17:30 to 18:30. The women were due to play a Frauenbundesliga match against SG Lionesses on 12 September 2026.
The club offers free trial training in Heidelberg-Kirchheim, for which ordinary sports kit is enough. Everyone is welcome, whether beginner or experienced, child or adult, pupil or student. International players are welcome too, with an invitation in English.
Under the fee regulations in force from 19 February 2025, rugby membership costs €25 a month (€300 a year) for adults aged 26 and over, €20 (€240) for young people up to 25, €15 (€180) for those up to 18, and €10 (€120) for children up to 14. A family membership costs €31 a month (€372 a year), supporting adult membership €19 (€228) and fan membership €12.50 (€150). The rugby joining fee is €20.
Club life
The club's colours are red, white and blue. The rugby teams' standard kit is a blue-and-white shirt with white shorts and blue or blue-and-white socks, and the teams are known as the "Zebras". In March 2019 the club had about 800 members, more than 300 of them active in rugby. The rugby section calls itself Germany's oldest rugby club and uses the hashtag #klubklubklub.