Colin Grzanna
Encyclopedia
Colin Grzanna is a German
international rugby union
player, playing for the Berliner RC
in the Rugby-Bundesliga
and the German national rugby union team. He is captain and player-coach of his club team and has also captained the German team at times.
n cousins.
He is currently playing for Berliner Rugby Club, where he also covers a coaching role, together with Gerrit van Look
, another player of the German national team.
Although playing for Berlin for the most part of his career, Grzanna spent the 2000 seaon with the Northwood Crusaders in Durban
, South Africa
before returning to Berlin again.
He was part of the German Sevens side at the World Games 2005
in Duisburg
, where Germany finished 8th.
He has been filling in as German captain for an injuired Jens Schmidt
in late 2007 and early 2008. Himself injured later in the year, suffering a broken hand and requiring pins after the game against SC Neuenheim
on 13 September 2008, he planned to retire from the national team but, according to his captain Schmidt, he loves the game too much and Germany needs his skills too badly for him to retire.
His greatest success as a national team player was the promotion to Division 1 of the European Nations Cup in 2008. In an interview after the promotion-winning game, which he captained, he stated that, in his opinion, this was the greatest moment in German rugby in almost 30 years.
Grzanna voiced his anger with the image of the game in Germany, where it is often unfairly associated with only being played by rough individuals. He considers it the perfect game, as - he says - there is a position for everybody in the game, regardless of someone's size or height.
Grzanna last played for Germany on 2 May 2009, against Russia, and has since retired from the national team.
from 2000 to 2007 and now works as an assistant surgeon. Apart from German, he is also fluent in English and French.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
international rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player, playing for the Berliner RC
Berliner RC
The Berliner Rugby Club is a German rugby union club from Berlin, currently playing in the Rugby-Bundesliga.-History:The club was formed in 1926.While very successful in its youth department, it has not managed similar achievements on the senior level....
in the Rugby-Bundesliga
Rugby-Bundesliga
The Rugby-Bundesliga is the highest level of Germany's rugby union league system, organised by the German Rugby Federation.The league is predominantly amateur, with only two of the ten clubs in the league being professional outfits,the SC 1880 Frankfurt and Heidelberger RK.-History:The German rugby...
and the German national rugby union team. He is captain and player-coach of his club team and has also captained the German team at times.
Biography
Colin Grzanna started playing rugby when he was five years old, in 1984, playing with his South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n cousins.
He is currently playing for Berliner Rugby Club, where he also covers a coaching role, together with Gerrit van Look
Gerrit van Look
Gerrit van Look is a retired German international rugby union player, having last played for the Berliner RC in the Rugby-Bundesliga and the German national rugby union team...
, another player of the German national team.
Although playing for Berlin for the most part of his career, Grzanna spent the 2000 seaon with the Northwood Crusaders in Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
before returning to Berlin again.
He was part of the German Sevens side at the World Games 2005
World Games 2005
The World Games of 2005 took place in Duisburg, Germany from 14 July 2005 until 24th July 2005.More than 3000 athletes competed in 39 non-Olympic sports:-Sports:Official sportsInvitational sports*Aikido The World Games of 2005 took place in Duisburg, Germany from 14 July 2005 until 24th July...
in Duisburg
Duisburg
- History :A legend recorded by Johannes Aventinus holds that Duisburg, was built by the eponymous Tuisto, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC...
, where Germany finished 8th.
He has been filling in as German captain for an injuired Jens Schmidt
Jens Schmidt
Jens Schmidt is a German international rugby union player, playing for the TSV Handschuhsheim in the Rugby-Bundesliga and the German national rugby union team...
in late 2007 and early 2008. Himself injured later in the year, suffering a broken hand and requiring pins after the game against SC Neuenheim
SC Neuenheim
The SC Neuenheim is a German rugby union club from Heidelberg, currently playing in the Rugby-Bundesliga. Having won nine men's and twelve women's German championships as of 2004, the club is one of the most accomplished in Germany.-History:...
on 13 September 2008, he planned to retire from the national team but, according to his captain Schmidt, he loves the game too much and Germany needs his skills too badly for him to retire.
His greatest success as a national team player was the promotion to Division 1 of the European Nations Cup in 2008. In an interview after the promotion-winning game, which he captained, he stated that, in his opinion, this was the greatest moment in German rugby in almost 30 years.
Grzanna voiced his anger with the image of the game in Germany, where it is often unfairly associated with only being played by rough individuals. He considers it the perfect game, as - he says - there is a position for everybody in the game, regardless of someone's size or height.
Grzanna last played for Germany on 2 May 2009, against Russia, and has since retired from the national team.
Personal life
Like most of his fellow German team mates, Grzanna is an amateur rugby player and a surgeon by profession. He studied human medicine at the Charite Universitätsmedizin in BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
from 2000 to 2007 and now works as an assistant surgeon. Apart from German, he is also fluent in English and French.
National team
- European Nations CupEuropean Nations Cup (rugby union)The European Nations Cup is the European Championship for tier 2 and tier 3 rugby union nations. The Championship is split into 7 divisions with 5 or 6 teams in each. The divisions play on a two-year cycle with the teams playing each other both home and away...
- Division 2- Champions: 20082006-2008 European Nations Cup Second DivisionThe 2006-2008 European Nations Cup Second Division will be contested over two years during which all teams meet each other home and away. The winner of Division 2A, Germany, will be promoted to Division 1 and fifth place,Netherlands, relegated to Division 2B...
- Champions: 2008
Club
| Year | Club | Division | Games | Tries | Con | Pen | DG | Place |
| 2008-09 Rugby-Bundesliga 2008-09 -Overview:The 2008-09 modus was somewhat different from the previous season. The competition had been expanded from eight to nine teams. The final, which used to be determined by the top-two teams of the regular season was now played by the two winners of the semi-finals which pair the first placed... |
Berliner RC Berliner RC The Berliner Rugby Club is a German rugby union club from Berlin, currently playing in the Rugby-Bundesliga.-History:The club was formed in 1926.While very successful in its youth department, it has not managed similar achievements on the senior level.... |
Rugby-Bundesliga Rugby-Bundesliga The Rugby-Bundesliga is the highest level of Germany's rugby union league system, organised by the German Rugby Federation.The league is predominantly amateur, with only two of the ten clubs in the league being professional outfits,the SC 1880 Frankfurt and Heidelberger RK.-History:The German rugby... |
10 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4th — Semi-finals |
| 2009-10 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 0 | 6th | ||
| 2010-11 Rugby-Bundesliga 2010–11 -Overview:The 2009-10 modus is identical to the previous season. However, the competition had been reduced from ten to nine teams, after the withdrawal of the ASV Köln Rugby during last season and no team from the 2nd Bundesliga accepting promotion. Like in 2008-09, the top four teams qualify for... |
9 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 6th | ||
| 2011-12 |
- As of 25 August 2011
European Nations Cup
| Year | Team | Competition | Games | Points | Place |
| 2006-2008 2006-2008 European Nations Cup Second Division The 2006-2008 European Nations Cup Second Division will be contested over two years during which all teams meet each other home and away. The winner of Division 2A, Germany, will be promoted to Division 1 and fifth place,Netherlands, relegated to Division 2B... |
Germany | European Nations Cup Second Division European Nations Cup (rugby union) The European Nations Cup is the European Championship for tier 2 and tier 3 rugby union nations. The Championship is split into 7 divisions with 5 or 6 teams in each. The divisions play on a two-year cycle with the teams playing each other both home and away... |
8 | 18 | Champions |
| 2008-2010 2008-2010 European Nations Cup First Division The 2008–10 European Nations Cup First Division was the 7th edition of the championship since it was reformed in 2000. The championship not only determined the champions of the ENC but it also acted as an element of European qualification for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.At present,... |
Germany | European Nations Cup First Division | 4 | 0 | 6th — Relegated |
Friendlies & other competitions
| Year | Team | Competition | Games | Points |
| 2007 | Germany Germany national rugby union team Germany is a third-tier Rugby Union playing nation. Germany currently plays at the second level of European rugby but has never managed to qualify for the Rugby World Cup... |
Friendly | 2 | 0 |
- As of 25 February 2010
External links
- Interview with Colin Grzanna on the IRB website Colin Grzanna profile at totalrugby.de
- http://www.duisburg.de/worldgames_archiv/en/teilnehmer/teilnehmer.php@id=711Colin Grzanna profile at the World Games 2005World Games 2005The World Games of 2005 took place in Duisburg, Germany from 14 July 2005 until 24th July 2005.More than 3000 athletes competed in 39 non-Olympic sports:-Sports:Official sportsInvitational sports*Aikido The World Games of 2005 took place in Duisburg, Germany from 14 July 2005 until 24th July...
website] - http://www.berliner-rugby-club.de/player.html?player=4Colin Grzanna profile at the Berliner RCBerliner RCThe Berliner Rugby Club is a German rugby union club from Berlin, currently playing in the Rugby-Bundesliga.-History:The club was formed in 1926.While very successful in its youth department, it has not managed similar achievements on the senior level....
website]