I was just curious if any other EFers are, or have been, involved in Swiss rugby. I played 3 seasons for Rugby Club Bern when I arrived in '95, but had to jack it in after hip surgery. I'm now considering helping out Fribourg in some kind of coaching capacity, after a very drunken promise made to their captain last week. I know Zurich had a quite a high ex-pat contingent in the past and I wonder if I faced off against any other EFers .
I must say I was pleasantly surpirsed by the standard and enthusiam when I played. The only problem we seemed to suffer from was commitment to training and away games and I remember several times travelling to games in the French Jura with only 13 players.
Fribourg are at home to Basel this coming Saturday, will any of you be there?

This post got me excited! Fribourg has a rugby team?!?! Fantastic! Where do they play? Where can I find out more...... I'm keen to find a local team to support - not in a playing capacity, more in a drinking and admiring athletic men in shorts kind of way!

Hi PaddyG, I was involved years back in Swiss rugby in the 80's with the Swiss Rugby Federation, the North Swiss Rugby Association and Rugby Club Zurich. I left the country to work abroad and never really got around to getting involved again when I came back in the 90's.

I remember going to Morocco with the Swiss national team (NOT as a player) and being totally creamed (and that is being gentle) by something like 60 something to nothing.... Happy Days

They play up at Guintzet, near the hospitals. However, Saturday's match was the last before the Winter break. Think they start again in March.

And here's the link:

http://www.rugby-fribourg.ch/

i don't know if i can be considered an EFer..but..anyway in Lausanne there is a very active rugby scene. 3 clubs in the Swiss leagues and many other peripheral ones (the hotel schools, Nestle, Philip Morris, a fun touch side and the related old boys teams). Also there is the necessary rugby infrastructure (friendly pubs with big screens + Sky and 2/3 very good pitches).

Stade Lausanne is the pick for expats and is 60/40 english/french speaking who regularly get 40 players down to a pitch 3 times a week during the season. There's nothing like a rugby team to have an instant family in a new town! http://www.stadelausannerugby.com/

Swizerland should be a natural rugby playing country, the heartland of any rugby nation is the mountain areas and the people who live there (Wales, Basque country, South Island NZ etc) and it fits with the wrestling heritage of the vallee. It's only a matter of time! Although the refereeing suffers from Swiss pedantry..

I played for an ex-pat team in the 90s and it was great, especially as we usually beat all the local and city teams. Helps that we were made up of Australians, Kiwis, South Africans, Brits, Irish and French so it was in our blood.

There is an attempt to get it going again here in Valais but it is still small.

I am glad to see there is some interest in Rugby here. I also play rugby here in Switzerland. Wheelchair rugby that is!!

On the 5th and 6th of December in the SPZ in Nottwil the Swiss National Championship (SchweizerMeisterschaft) in wheelchair rugby will take place.

I know that you think that rugby in wheelchairs couldn't be much, but I can tell you it is a BRUTAL game.

If you would like to see an example just go to youtube and look for wheelchair rugby or Murderball (that's what the sport was originally called).

I hope some of the EFrs will be able to attend the tournament.