Empor Rostock demands victory in the second leg: promotion in sight!

Empor Rostock demands victory in the second leg: promotion in sight!

On Sunday, May 25, 2025, HC Empor Rostock will face HC Oppenweiler/Backnang in the second leg of promotion to the 2nd Handball Bundesliga. After the exciting first promotion game, which Rostock won 27:26, expectations are high. Head coach Nicolaj Andersson is optimistic that his team can also perform successfully away from home. “We know exactly how the team can survive away from home,” he emphasized.

The upcoming encounter will take place in Baden-Württemberg, and there will be another knockout duel on May 30th and June 7th against the winner from TV Gelnhausen and HC Eintracht Hildesheim, should Rostock be successful overall. A win or draw in the second leg would be the first step in this direction. Andersson emphasizes that there is still room for improvement, which the team is working hard on.

Successful start to the promotion round

The first promotion game took place in the Rostock town hall in front of over 4,100 spectators. With their victory, HC Empor Rostock was able to record its first success in the promotion battle for the 2nd Handball Bundesliga and thus collect important points. Oppenweiler/Backnang, champions of the southern relay, are not underestimated as easy opponents - Stephan Just, coach of the guests, makes it clear that the situation has not yet been decided.

The women's team of Rostocker HC, the Dolphins, is also in the context of the promotion round. They won their first home game of the promotion round with 29:23 against Frankfurter HC, but also suffered a defeat against SG Kirchhof. The Dolphins' next opponent is HSG Freiburg, who they will face on May 24th.

Handball in Germany

Handball is very popular in Germany and attracts large numbers of spectators. With over 765,000 members in the German Handball Association (DHB), the sport is one of the most popular popular sports in the country after football. The German Handball Bundesliga (HBL) has existed since 1966 and attracts around 1.5 million spectators per season, which impressively reflects the passion and interest of the fans.

This year the Danish national team once again performed strongly at the Handball World Cup and successfully defended their title. The German team under coach Alfred Gíslason also showed their skills, but failed in the quarter-finals against Portugal. Meanwhile, the HBL remains a magnet for fans, especially at the European and World Championships.