City of Salford Construction on a new 20,000 seat £35 million pound stadium was complete in 2012. Now named the AJ Bell stadium it is home to Salford Red Devils and Sale Sharks rugby union team. Swinton Lions were founded in 1866 and play in the Championship at heywood road sale. They won the Rugby Football League Championship six times between 1927 and 1964, before it was superseded by Super League. They have also won the Challenge Cup three times between 1900 and 1928. Broughton Rangers were founded in 1877 and won the Rugby League Challenge Cup in the 1901–02 and 1910–11 seasons.
Germany national rugby union team international in 1952, beating Belgium 16–9. At the same time, in the Eastern part of the country, the German Democratic Republic, the German Democratic Republic national rugby union team was formed. The "DRV" continued to offer the East German "DTSB" to play a rugby friendly, but this was always declined by the East. Until 1965, Germany played friendlies only as there was no European rugby competition it could take part in. The team also made an appearance at England's home ground, Twickenham Stadium, in 1956, losing 8–26 to Harlequin F.C. on 8 September of that year. From 1965, it became