Germany’s Men’s Rugby Sevens Team Seeks Breakthrough in Challenger Series
On May 14, 2024, Germany’s men’s rugby sevens team will take the field for the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger Series in Munich, determined to secure a top-four finish and earn a spot in the promotion and relegation play-off competition at the SVNS Grand Final in Madrid.
The German squad, led by coach Clemens von Grumbkow, is no stranger to the challenges of the Challenger Series. In 2018, they narrowly missed out on qualification, losing 19-14 to Japan after leading 14-12 at the end of normal time. The following year, they fell short again, edged out 12-7 by Spain in the qualifier final, and in 2018, Ireland defeated them 19-10 in the semi-finals.
“We had this generation that went through all these qualifiers but we never made it onto the world series,” von Grumbkow noted in an interview with World Rugby. “The last chance for that generation was 2022, and I think [previous failures] did haunt them quite a bit.”
Hosting the final tournament in Munich provides the German team with a crucial home-ground advantage, and they are focused on playing to their strengths. “We are not a free-flowing team like France or Fiji,” von Grumbkow explained. “We have a good structure base, good skills, and we work hard. We want our defence to be our identity card, and then be physical in attack.”
The squad boasts experienced players like Jon Dawe, Niklas Koch, and Tim Lichtenberg, who have endured the disappointments of past campaigns. However, the addition of fresh faces has brought a renewed sense of optimism and a clean slate for the team’s mindset.
“As a coaching staff, we are trying to not think about those days,” von Grumbkow said. “We are young and trying to play the best rugby we can.”
With the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger Series in Munich just days away, the German men’s rugby sevens team is poised to capitalize on their home advantage and secure a long-awaited spot in the SVNS Grand Final.
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