Swedish Champions 2011 !

This is a brief history of Enköpings Rugbyklubb, how it was founded, its achievements and its ambitions and about Swedish rugby in general.

Contacts: If you wish to contact the club you can via the club e-mail address  or

Club Director, Torbjörn 'The Horse' Johansson, e-mail:

or by his mobile 0046 708 234909.

Visit our updated homepages and the Newspapers!

Where better to start about the club than at the beginning and how it was founded and this is best described in a translated article from the local newspaper, the Enköpings Posten, back in 1968.

ENKÖPINGS RUGBYKLUBB – How it all began (Translated extract from Enköpings Posten, Enköping’s local newspaper ) It is 1968 and Dennis Pettersson a 29 year old rugby player with Malmö Rugbyklubb and a Swedish rugby international, is sitting frustrated on a night train to Skåne, (a district in the south of Sweden). He has just moved 600 km north east to the small town of Enköping, to take up a new job as teacher in the local Vocational School but there is one thing wrong, there is no rugby club in the town and that is what is annoying him!! But Dennis, a fullback or back row forward, has decided to do something about the matter.He has decided to form what will eventually become one of Sweden's most famous and successful sporting organisations – ENKÖPINGS RUGBYKLUBB!! He started with Enköping's local newspaper, the Enköpings Posten (EP). Friday afternoon the 13th September 1968, Dennis stormed in the EP editorial office in Kungsgatan. He explained who he was, that he played rugby for Malmö Rugbyklubb, who were then riding high at the top of the national rugby table and that he was thinking about starting a rugby club in the town. “I hope there is some interest!!”, says Dennis. But there isn't. A week later it's Sports Day at Dennis's school and Dennis has assigned half of the football pitch to himself in order to introduce rugby to those who were interested. Two students turn up!! One of them is actually excused from all physical education, a doctors note note stating 'he should not run'. So there only two to play. The friend of the excused student and Dennis himself!!!! In order to get more people, Dennis goes around all the other sporting activities, eyes up a few likely looking boys and tells them, “Now we are going to play rugby and you will play!!” A short time later the Enköpings Posten arrive at the Enavallen Sports Ground and see the pupils, who were running around and according to the report, 'were falling like skittles!!'. All the time could be heard a voice, with a Gothenburg accent, urging them on and Dennis said, “We will definitely get a team together!! Little Trelleborg has a team, then it must be possible in Enköping”. And all of a sudden there was interest. When Dennis advertised a meeting to show a film about rugby, 15 people turn up and he then, on that day the 3rd October 1968, decided Enköpings Rugbyklubb would be formally founded. And so it was!!

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The Club Enköping Rugby Klubb - Affectionately known as ERK - The Club itself is situated in the town of Enköping, ( www.enkoping.se ), which has a population of approximately 40,000. The town being within 40 minutes drive of the major cities of Stockholm, Uppsala and Västerås (20 min), so giving it a catchment area of 2.5million people, nearly a third of the whole population of Sweden.

The Club was founded in 1968 and apart from being one of the longest serving members of the Swedish Rugby Federation (SRF), it is renowned as being the most successful rugby club, not just in Sweden, but in the whole of Scandinavia.

The Club has won the Swedish Championship (in all sections i.e. Men's Women's and Youth) 56 times at 15, 10, and 7 a´side competitions. Most recently the Ladies XV winning the championship this year, 2010!!! The Men won the championship in 2006 and 2007, were runners up in 2008 and regained the championship trophy in 2009, sadly losing in the is years semi final (2010) to the eventual winners Stockholm Exiles The Men's First XV won the League Championship 11 seasons in a row from 1978 to 1988 inclusive and an outstanding achievement and yet to be equalled in ANY other sport in Sweden. The Club has also finished as runners-up or third place on another 86 occasions. 

The Club has without doubt the best rugby facilities in Sweden, boasting its own, newly refurbished and extended club house with function room, bar and kitchen area. Excellent changing facilities for both men and women, and an excellent floodlit first team playing area, with spectator seating and standing area, PA system and elevated press area, a second pitch with scrummaging machine and a separate weight-training/fitness room. Currently team wise the club consists of the following:- Men's First XV and 2nd XV Women's First XV Youth teams from U’11 to U’19. The Club has a full time Office Manager, a Community/Youth Development Officer and 2 other full staff members ensuring the clubs functioning all year round. The Club has a strong membership and the team is well supported, the club record home game attendance being just under 1,500, to watch the second leg of the national final in 2007. As previously stated the club has the best rugby facilities in Sweden, that is why it regularly hosts national team matches and competitions and has become the national team’s training centre. In September 2008, 2009 and 2010, the club hosted, over a weekend, the Swedish Youth Rugby Championships. The 2010 competition attracting over 600 young players, boys and girls, from U 7's to U 17's, 41 teams from 14 clubs nationwide, plus the accompanying parents, coaching staff and supporters. The club organised all the sleeping, eating and of course, playing arrangements, it was deemed a great success by everyone.

In May 2009 the club also hosted some of the matches from the biggest ever rugby tournament to be held here in Sweden, F.I.R.A’s Women’s European Tournament, which doubled as a Women’s 2010 World Cup Qualification Tournament. The Swedish Ladies team, which included 2 Enköping players, won their group and qualified for the 2010 World Cup which was played in England, with two players from the club representing Sweden in the competition. The club received tremendous praise and accolades from the IRB, FIRA and the visiting playing nations for the organisation of the 6 matches played at the club. During 2010 the club has also hosted Men’s National team games and has become one of the countries national training centres.

This year (2010), the club can boast 11 club players who have been in the Men's National Squad and 4 in the Women's National Squad. The club also had 3 representative honours in the National Junior team and regularly holds National Academy training sessions. LINKS. Below are some links and information about this and past year’s achievements. Hope you enjoy them!! Information about the Men’s finals of 2009:

http://www.klubblokalen.se/erkbilder/  www.lokalsport.nu

http://www.lokalsport.nu/index.php 

Newspaper - www.unt.se

http://www2.unt.se/avd/1,,MC=4-AV_ID=970487,00.html

http://www2.unt.se/pages/1,1826,MC=4-AV_ID=970487,00.html?from=puff

Pictures from the games

http://www.tomasberg.com/rugby-club-season-2009

Women’s Final Links: You Tube -

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=lokalsport.nu+rugby&aq=f

Swedish Television - http://svtplay.se/v/2081021/sm-veckan/rugby__final__damer

Men’s Final

Link: Swedish Television -

http://svtplay.se/v/2081017/sm-veckan/rugby__final__herrar National 7’s Final

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XgQAbzJ7r0

Other Links:

Sweden v Croatia -

http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/5917790 Sweden v Catalonia (Spain)

http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/5374357/Rugby.Catalunia.vs.Sweden.2010-02-14

Sweden v Malta - http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/5410496/Rugby.Malta.vs.Sweden.2009-11-07-DVD

More action clips and photos can be seen by visiting www.klubblokalen.se

A round up of the Club’s Ups and Downs of 2010!!

The Ups!!

The Ladies team wins the National Championship for the first time in 11 years!! The Men win the Swedish National 7’s Competition and also become

Champions of Scandinavia in the 15’s game, beating Norwegian Champions Bergen in the Final!

Strong representation throughout the year in the Swedish National Squads, 11 in the men’s and 4 in the ladies!

Representative honours in the National Junior team!

The club’s Lithuanian players also make representative appearances for their country!

The National Youth Championships (USM), was deemed a great success and saw a festival of youth rugby at the club, with over 600 participants from all over Sweden taking part!

Local school competitions for Junior and Junior High Schools in TAG and full contact rugby respectively, producing some fantastic rugby and great players for the club’s future.

The club hosted the Boys and Girls National Grammar/High School Championships

Now with all refurbishment complete, well nearly, and thanks to the hard work of club personnel, the Clubhouse is now a popular attraction as both a conference and private party venue!

The Downs!!

The Men lose out to eventual Championship winners, Stockholm Exiles, in the semis!

After a great fight, the Ladies lose in the National 7’s final!

Other items of interest during the year. 2010 was the year for the Swedish national election and the club had the pleasure of hosting visits from the Swedish Justice Minister, Beatrice Ask, who praised the club for its social interaction within the community and also tried her hand at a little rugby, well some passing anyway!

The club also had a visit from the opposition party’s (Social Democrat) Thomas Östros.

The social work of the club was also written and described in the National Sports magazine and was seen as a great example of how local sports clubs and organizations can work within and for the community and was even mentioned in a parliamentary report.

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As for the future!?

On the playing side the Club has high hopes of the Fist XV winning back the Swedish Championship next season. Always looking to strengthen and improve the side it has always welcomed overseas players. Last season’s First XV included players originating from Fiji and New Zealand, although both now qualify to and do play for Sweden, an American 7’s National Squad player and 3 Lithuanian internationals, as well as excellent ‘home produced’ players. There has also been a great resurgence in interest in the women's team, after being losing semi finalists in 2009.

The Ladies team in 2010 grew from strength to strength and became Swedish Champions 2010, the last time they achieved this was in 1999. WELL DONE GIRLS!!!

The development of the youth section continues, with excellent coaching and the ´Youth Development Scheme` within the schools and 'Rugby School' continues. ‘TAG’ Rugby is taught in all the schools in the town and a local school ‘TAG’ competition is held for the under 12’s. A National ‘TAG’ competition is also held, with local school Korsängen winning the National U’12’s TAG Rugby Competition 2009. The club annually holds a School Rugby Tournament for boys and girls under 16, where some fantastic rugby skills are displayed. So the prognosis for the club is looking good.

The club has a good reputation within the local community and has a good working relationship with the local authority, with regards to fostering relations with the local youth of the town. In fact, the rugby club was the founder of the now biggest youth activity centre in the town ´Activitetshuset`, now renamed ‘Ungdomshuset’ which is now a full time independently run location.

The Club has won many Certificates of Merit from national organisations for club friendliness and community interaction and as previously mentioned this work has been mentioned in a parliamentary report.

The Club itself has an anti-drug and anti-social behaviour policy. The club receives good media coverage in the local newspaper and also occasional national media coverage, (see links to Men’s and Women’s Finals).

At the moment, the club are sponsored by many local companies and shops (154), by Gold or Silver sponsorship deals, which include, name on shirt/shorts, ground advertising, advert in the local paper, match posters and match day programme, placed on the club website and sponsors also receive free match tickets.

As previously mentioned, the club again hosted a very successful National Youth Championships in 2010 and will be hosting it again in 2011 and the National Grammar/High School Competition. We are hoping to host that competition again next year, together with other major national competitions, both senior and junior.

If you look under "Bilder" and ‘ERK-bilder’ on the club's homepage www.erk.nu  you will find pictures and some video footage from matches and pictures from newspaper articles or visit www.klubblokalen.se 

Interested in joining us?

The club is always looking for new players global wide but specially in the local area, Västerås, Uppsala, Sala, Strängnäs or Eskilstuna or maybe you would just like to become a social member.

Swedish Rugby Below is a brief summary of rugby here in Sweden, more information can be found on the Swedish Rugby Unions own website: www.rugby.se  The Swedish Rugby Federation, Svensk Rugbyförbundet or SRF for short, (the R.F.U. equivalent) was founded in 1932 and is based in Stockholm. It has under its umbrella some 47 competitive clubs, many of them having female and youth sections, in addition to men’s rugby. In 2010 saw the system change for the men’s game. Previously teams competed in 2 divisions, ´Allsvenskan` and Division 1.

The season runs from April to the beginning/mid October.

The former ‘Allsvenskan’ was divided into North and South, comprising of 6 teams in each, the teams played each other home and away, with the top 3 teams from each area going through to an ´Elite serie’ league play-off, again playing each other home and away. The top 4 teams from the Elite serie then formed the semi-finals, the top team chosing their opposition, again played on a home and away basis. The teams with the highest aggregate points going through to the final, which was played on the same aggregate points basis over 2 matches, the winner the Swedish Championship (Svensk Mästerskap) and becoming the Swedish Champions (Svensk Mästare). This system is still adopted for the Women’s game. However the Men’s has now changed in that, the top 3 teams from the North and South form an ‘Elite’ league, with the top 4 then qualifying for the Championship play offs, played on the same basis as before. The Men’s teams from all divisions also compete for the resurrected National Cup, which is competed on a purely knock-out basis.

The finals, men’s and women’s, have over the past years attracted national TV sports news coverage. Division 1 is divided into 3 areas North, Middle and South of Sweden with possible promotion to ‘Eliteserie’. On a national front the Swedish national side failed to qualify through the early stages of the European Group qualification round for the Rugby World Cup 2011 but still compete in the European Group competition and gained promotion to FIRA Group 2. Despite meeting tougher opposition, the men have performed well and have risen to their highest iRB ranking for many years.

The Women’s National team were outstanding in the World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Sweden 2009, beating one of the favourites Italy to qualify for the 2011 World Cup in England, where they also did themselves proud. The Swedish Union is active in formulating methods on how to better Swedish rugby and formed a partnership with the London North Region of the RFU and an R.F.U. Regional Development Officer, Chris Sigsworth, became the Swedish Rugby Development Officer. This saw the introduction of Regional and National Academy teams at Under 20, Under 18 and Under 16 age groups for boys and Under 18 for girls and National School Tournaments for Grammar/High schools and Junior schools. The National U’18’s improved tremendously, performing well in a recent European competition in Italy Chris returned to England this year (2010), his role taken by a Swede, Magnus Stangenberg, who we hope will continue Chris’s good work.

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We hope you have found the above informative and it has helped in you whether to join our club as a player or social member. Other information about the club can be found on the club website www.erk.nu  and on Swedish rugby on their website, www.rugby.se

So if you are interested please give us a call, internationally on 0046 171 440 887 or locally 0171 440 887 or drop us an e-mail to  and if you have questions please do not hesitate to contact us on the above contact details.