The club was formed on 11 March 1949 as SG Landeshochschule Potsdam in what was soon to become East Germany. It was later renamed to HSG PH Potsdam.[1]
In 1990, with the imminent dissolution of East Germany, it became the HSG BLH Potsdam, to adopt its current name, USV Potsdam, in July 1991, reflecting its close ties with the University of Potsdam.[1]
Rugby department
The club's rugby department was formed in 1988.[2] However, rugby in Potsdam dates back to the 1950s. In 1963, a rugby department was formed at the Pädagogischen Hochschule Potsdam, which later joined local club Dynamo Potsdam. In 1988, students at the Pädagogischen Hochschule once more formed a rugby club, the RG 88 Potsdam. Once more, this team joined the local police sports club, the former Dynamo now being renamed PSV Potsdam.[3]
In 1993, this team won promotion to the 2nd Rugby-Bundesliga North for the first time. In 1997, the rugby department then joined the university club USV, its current home.[3]
Finishing the first three seasons in this league in the lower half of the table, USV progressed to a third place in 2008-09. In the 2009-10 season, the club leads the league and has a good chance of earning promotion to the Rugby-Bundesliga. The club however is trying to attract sponsorship to be able to afford competing at national level.
A league reform in 2012 allowed the club promotion to the Bundesliga as the league was expanded from ten to 24 teams. USV finished third in their group in the 2012-13 season and qualified for the north/east division of the championship round, where it came sixth. The club opted to not play their first round play-off match, citing player shortage, and was thereby knocked out of the championship with the game awarded 50-0 to the opposition.[4]
The club qualified for the DRV-Pokal in 2013–14 and was knocked out by RC Leipzig in the quarter-finals of the play-offs. At the end of the season the club opted to withdraw from the Bundesliga to the tier three Regionalliga. After a season there in 2013–14 USV earned promotion back to the 2nd Bundesliga for the following year after a Regionalliga championship.
Until 2001, when the single-division Bundesliga was established, the season was divided in autumn and spring, a Vorrunde and Endrunde, whereby the top teams of the Rugby-Bundesliga would play out the championship while the bottom teams together with the autumn 2nd Bundesliga champion would play for Bundesliga qualification. The remainder of the 2nd Bundesliga teams would play a spring round to determine the relegated clubs. Where two placing's are shown, the first is autumn, the second spring. In 2012 the Bundesliga was expanded from ten to 24 teams and the 2nd Bundesliga from 20 to 24 with the leagues divided into four regional divisions.
