Frühjahrssaison start / Spring Season Opener

Bishops Show Their Progress in Tough Battle at League Leaders Thun

Strong structure, real character, and a much closer contest to open the second half of the season.

On Saturday 28 March 2026 at 3.00pm, the Bishops — the entente between St. Gallen Rugby Club and Rugby Club Konstanz — kicked off the second half of the season with a demanding away fixture against Swiss league leaders Thun.

Despite the long bus journey, the mood in the squad was cheerful, focused and ready for the challenge. After a serious warm-up, the Bishops started with intent, and from the first whistle it was clear that this would be a very different contest from the heavy defeat suffered against Thun earlier in the season.

The Bishops stayed in the fight throughout and showed clear progress in both organisation and attitude. That improvement is no coincidence. It is the result of the coaches’ hard work during the interseason, especially on the team’s game structure, and those efforts are now starting to pay off on the pitch.

A major turning point came in the last ten minutes of the first half, when our number 10 from Konstanz suffered a serious injury. Until then, he had been playing brilliantly and was one of the Bishops’ most dangerous attacking weapons, breaking through the Thun defence several times with excellent runs and giving the team real momentum. Seeing him leave the game in that moment was a huge blow for the whole side.

Play was stopped for several minutes while the emergency services arrived and treated him on the field. As the delay continued, the weather worsened, the temperature dropped, and a storm began to roll in over the snow-covered mountains surrounding the pitch. In a fine show of rugby spirit, the Thun players invited our boys to warm up with them in their heated clubhouse during the stoppage — a gesture that was greatly appreciated.

The match itself was played on artificial turf, and it took its toll. By the end, many players had bloody, burnt knees, but the Bishops kept battling until the final whistle. In the end, too many penalties, too many lost lineouts, and missed opportunities inside Thun’s 22 prevented the team from turning key moments into points.

Still, there was a lot to be proud of. The final score of 29–15 for Thun reflected a much tighter and more competitive performance, and after the match even the home side acknowledged how much the Bishops had improved since the first encounter.

Among the standout performers were Simba from Konstanz, who put in a huge shift up front and fought like a lion all afternoon, and James from St. Gallen, who impressed in his very first match for the Bishops at scrum-half. Both were deservedly named players of the match.

After the game, the Bishops stayed together and waited for their injured teammate at the hospital. Unfortunately, after the initial diagnosis, he had to remain there overnight for further examinations. Everyone at the Bishops wishes him a full and speedy recovery.

The next challenge now awaits at home: Winterthur in Konstanz on 11.04. The team will use the next two weeks to keep building, improve discipline, and sharpen the lineout. But for that game, the Bishops will also need all the support possible. We encourage all supporters, friends, families and rugby lovers to come to Konstanz and get behind the team. Your support from the sideline can make a real difference.