Klub Sportowy ROW Rybnik, also known as ROW Rybnik, is a Polish motorcycle speedway team based in Rybnik, which currently competes in Ekstraliga (speedway).[1]
Rybnik is one of the oldest and most successful teams in Polish speedway having won the league championship on twelve occasions.[2] ROW is one of the several clubs of the once united ROW Rybnik multi-sports club.
The 1960s was not only the most successful for the club but the most successful decade of all time for any club. As Górnik Rybnik they earned a silver in 1961 and then embarked on seven consecutive gold medal wins in 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967 and 1968. Four of these wins were achieved under the new name ROW Rybnik because in 1964, the multi-sports club ROW Rybnik was formed as a result of a merger between two local clubs RKS Górnik Rybnik and KS Górnik Chwałowice. Furthermore three of the club's riders won the five Polish Championships; Andrzej Wyglenda (1964, 1968 and 1969), Stanisław Tkocz (1965) and Antoni Woryna (1966).[6]
1970 to 1989
Eugeniusz Skupień, Rybnik from 1983 to 1992
The 1970s was much less emphatic but the club still managed to win their 11th and 12th gold medal wins in 1970[7] and 1972.[8]Jerzy Gryt won the 1971 Polish Championship and Andrzej Wyglenda won his second in 1973.
The 1980s resulted in a gradual decline and the team suffered relegation in 1982 but by the end of the decade they had recovered to win a silver and a bronze medal in 1988 and 1989 respectively.[9]
1990 to 1999
After a silver medal win in 1990 the club underwent a name change to Rybnicki Klub Motorowy (Rybnik's Motorcycle Club) in 1994.[10] The remainder of the decade saw very few highlights.
2000 to 2009
When the Ekstraliga was introduced in 2000, Rybnik were in the 1. Liga.[11] They won the 1. Liga in 2003.[12] In 2009, they reverted to the historical "ROW" prefix as RKM ROW Rybnik.
2010 to present
In 2013, they changed name again, to ŻKS ROW Rybnik, the same season they won 2. Liga.[13] In 2019, they gained promotion back to the Ekstraliga but were relegated the following season (2020) and have struggled since. They currently race as KS ROW Rybnik.
