RC Sparta Prague is a

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby union: 15 players per side *** American flag rugby *** Beach rugby *** Mini rugby *** Rugby sevens, 7 players per side *** Rugby tens, 10 players per side *** Snow rugby *** Tou ...

club based in Prague. They currently play in the

Extraliga ragby XV The Extraliga rugby XV is a rugby club competition played in the Czech Republic and is the top level of rugby in the country. There is a promotion-relegation process between the Extraliga ragby and the 1. Liga ragby XV. The league used to be know ...

and are the second oldest club in the Czech Republic after

Slavia Prague Sportovní klub Slavia Praha – fotbal (Sports Club Slavia Prague – Football, ), commonly known as Slavia Praha or Slavia Prague, is a Czech professional football club in Prague. Founded in 1892, they are the second most successful club in t ...

. The club forms part of the Sparta Prague sports network.

History

Early years

The club was officially founded on 28 August 1928, with the first coach being Frenchman Andrée Cannellas. Their first match was on 28 April 1929 against VŠ sport Brno. Later on in 1929 they took on fellow Prague side Slavia Prague, the latter prevailing 23–3. They did however manage to beat Slavia 8-0 not too long afterwards. In 1931 Sparta won their first of five Czechoslovak championship titles and supplied a number of players to the national team that took on

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...

. The club prospered for a while, with many new members joining. But disaster struck in 1934 when the grandstand caught fire, destroying all the club's equipment.

1944 to the present

Rugby activity in the then

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...

was only resumed in 1944, due to the intervention of the Second World War. After playing in the first division for many years, they were relegated to the second division in 1957. The years 1968 to 1973 saw the club's first Golden Age, winning the championship in 1968 and 1973. The 1980s were not particularly good for the club, with the low point coming in 1985, when they finished last in the first division. This led to a rebuilding phase lasting from 1986 to 1990, culminating in the championship win in 1990. The club moved to their present field in 1982. Sparta's second Golden Age occurred in 1998 and 1999, with back-to-back KB Extraliga titles. Historical names: * 1928 – Athletic Club Sparta * 1950 – Sparta Bratrství * 1951 – Sparta Praha Sokolovo * 1965 – Sparta Praha * 1970 – Sparta ĆKD Praha * 1989 – RC Sparta Praha

Honours

* Czechoslovak Championships ** 1931, 1967, 1968, 1973, 1990 *

** 1998, 1999, 2017, 2019

Notable former players

Martin Jágr Martin Jágr (born 29 September 1979 in Prague) is a Czech rugby union footballer. He is nicknamed "Jaguar". His position on the field is on the wing. Jágr is usually considered one of the best rugby union players from his country. He was first ...

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sparta Prague, RC Rugby union teams in the Czech Republic Sport in Prague Rugby clubs established in 1928 AC Sparta Prague 1928 establishments in Czechoslovakia