Rudolf Finsterer

Rudolf Finsterer (born 5 May 1951)^[1] is a retired German international rugby union player and coach, formerly coaching the RG Heidelberg in the Rugby-Bundesliga and, until the 20 March 2010, the German national rugby union team.^[2]

Rudolf Finsterer

Birth name	Rudolf Finsterer
Date of birth	(1951-05-05) 5 May 1951 (age 74)
Rugby union career
Position(s) - International career Years Team Apps (Points) Germany Correct as of 8 March 2010 Coaching career Years Team 2002 - 2008 RG Heidelberg 2001 - 2010 Germany 2009 - 2011 RG Heidelberg Correct as of 8 March 2010

Finsterer resigned from his position of coach of Germany at the end of the country's European Nation Cup campaign, after suffering defeat in every match and relegation.^[3] He was bitterly disappointed about the relegation, considering his ten years in the position of coach of Germany wasted.^[4] He was succeeded by Torsten Schippe as coach of Germany,^[5] the very man he himself succeeded in 2001.^[6]

Finsterer shared his duties as coach of Germany with Bruno Stolorz^[7] from the RC Orléans. Stolorz was seconded to the German team by the Fédération française de rugby to improve Germany's performance in the sport.^[8]

On club level, Finsterer coached the RG Heidelberg since 2002, with an interruption in the 2008-09 season.^[9] At the end of the 2010-11 season, he retired from coaching and instead stepped into the role of a team manager with RG Heidelberg.^[10]

Finsterer lives in Mannheim and, while coach of Germany, worked under the Bundestrainer Peter Ianusevici, who holds a position of director of rugby in Germany.^[11][12]

Coaching honours

Club

• German rugby union championship
  • Champions: 2006, 2007
• German rugby union cup
  • Winner: 2004
  • Runners up: 2006, 2007, 2008

National team

• European Nations Cup - Division 2
  • Champions: 2008