Rhine River Rhinos saved: 302,092 euros secure the future!

Rhine River Rhinos saved: 302,092 euros secure the future!

The future of the Rhine River Rhinos wheelchair basketball team from Wiesbaden is secured. Thanks to a successful fundraising campaign carried out over the last three weeks, the club was able to collect a total of 152,092 euros. This was done with the support of around 800 individual donors who took part in the campaign. In addition, sponsors outside the platform contributed 80,497 euros, bringing the total to over 302,000 euros after main sponsor R+V Versicherung doubled the sum by 150,000 euros. The club's financial hardship, the threat of insolvency and the Bundesliga game operations were thus averted. Before the fundraising campaign, around 175,000 euros were missing for the start of the season, which underlined the urgency of the campaign.

The fundraising campaign took place via the Wiesbadener Volksbank's “Many create more” platform and started on June 16, 2025. The reaction from the region was overwhelming. As a result of this initiative, the club's continued existence has been strengthened, enabling a more professional set-up for the coming season.

Causes of financial difficulties

The Rhinos had found themselves in a precarious position as some sponsors had pulled out due to their own economic problems. In addition, there was a personnel shake-up in the coaching staff, including the loss of coach and player Michael Paye, which placed additional pressure on the budget. Tax liabilities and expectations of higher future spending contributed to the financial distress, which could only be alleviated through creative and committed community support.

Club managing director Mirko Korder expressed his gratitude to R+V Versicherung and its staff for their significant support. Jens Hasselbächer from R+V emphasized the valuable work of the Rhinos and their importance for Wiesbaden. The team can now start the coming season with tailwind.

The look forward

The new season begins on Saturday, November 15, 2025, with an away game. The first home game will take place on Sunday, November 23rd, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. against the RBB Munich Iguanas in the hall at the Platz der deutsche Unheit in Wiesbaden. The support of the region has taken an important step towards stabilizing the club and everyone involved is looking forward to a successful season.

For more information on this topic you can read the articles from Wiesbaden Current and FFH read.