Rugby Club Zurich

The rugby section of Grasshopper Club Zürich has its origin in Rugby Club Zurich.  This club has made a significant contribution to the history of the sport in Switzerland, as it is one of the two oldest clubs in the country.

Rugby was widespread in Switzerland prior to the Second World War, declined during the war and only regained its momentum in the 1960's. An interesting fact is that the most famous and successful professional sports club in Switzerland Grasshopper Club Zürich already had some members playing rugby beforw WW2, but not as an official section at that time. 

Rugby Club Zurich was founded in 1968 by members of the international community in Zurich and initially most games were played against foreign teams. In 1970, RC Cern organized a „Challenge d‘Amitié“ between existing Swiss clubs, later known as the „Challenge Laurent Membrez“. This led on to the formation of the Federation Suisse de Rugby (FSR) in 1972, which RCZ joined as the then sole representative of the German-speaking Northeastern Switzerland.

In 2008 the members of Rugby Club Zurich decided together with Grasshoppers Club Zürich that the Rugby Club would become an official section of the Grasshopper Club.