Rosenlewin Urheilijat-38, RU-38 for short, was a sports club based in Pori, Finland. It was founded in 1938 by the W. Rosenlew Company. The club was best known by its football and ice hockey sections. In 1967 RU-38 merged with another local club, Karhut, forming a new club named Ässät.
The athletes of RU-38 were usually semi-professionals. They had a job at the company's factories and could use their working hours in training.
Football
In the 1950s RU-38 recruited several Finnish national team players, such as Aimo Sommarberg and Stig-Göran Myntti and was promoted to the national top league in 1958. The next season club finished 2nd in Mestaruussarja. 1960 RU-38 played in the Finnish Cup final by losing 1–3 for FC Haka.
After RU-38 was merged with Karhut, Ässät inherited RU-38's football section.
Season to season SeasonLevelDivisionSectionAdministrationPositionMovements1938-44Did not participate1945-46Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Third Division)SatakuntaFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)5th1946-47Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Third Division)SatakuntaFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)2nd1947-48Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Third Division)SatakuntaFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)1stPromotion Playoff - Promoted1948Tier 2Suomensarja (First Division)North GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)3rd 1949Tier 2Suomensarja (First Division)West GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)5th 1950Tier 2Suomensarja (First Division)West GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)5th 1951Tier 2Suomensarja (First Division)West GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)3rd 1952Tier 2Suomensarja (First Division)West GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)6th 1953Tier 2Suomensarja (First Division)West GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)5th 1954Tier 2Suomensarja (First Division)West GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)10thRelegated1955Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Third Division)North Group IIFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)1stPromotion Playoff1956Tier 3Maakuntasarja (Third Division)West Group IFinnish FA (Suomen Pallolitto)1stPromotion Playoff - Promoted1957Tier 2Suomensarja (First Division)West GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)4th 1958Tier 2Suomensarja (First Division)West GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)1stPromoted1959Tier 1Mestaruussarja (Premier League)Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)2nd1960Tier 1Mestaruussarja (Premier League)Finnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)10thRelegated1961Tier 2Suomensarja (First Division)West GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)2nd 1962Tier 2Suomensarja (First Division)West GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)3rd 1963Tier 2Suomensarja (First Division)West GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)6th 1964Tier 2Suomensarja (First Division)West GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)4th 1965Tier 2Suomensarja (First Division)West GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)2ndPromotion Playoff1966Tier 2Suomensarja (First Division)West GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)3rd 1967Tier 2Suomensarja (First Division)West GroupFinnish FA (Suomen Palloliitto)1stPromotion Group 1st - Promoted, Merged with Karhut to form Ässät
2 seasons in Mestaruussarja 16 seasons in Suomensarja 5 seasons in Maakuntasarja
Ice hockey
RU-38 was promoted to the top hockey league SM-sarja in 1964. Club won the Finnish championship in 1967. RU-38 also made a short appearance in British espionage film Billion Dollar Brain that was partly shot in Finland. They performed a hockey fight with another Finnish team Karhu-Kissat.
Other sports
The most notable other athletes representing RU-38 were 1500-metre world record holder Olavi Salonen and 1960 Olympics pole vault bronze medalist Eeles Landström.
The club also had bandy on its programme.
Honors Football: Finnish championship: runners-up 1959 Finnish Cup: runners-up 1960 Football Association of Finland Satakunta district champions: 1950, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1967 Ice hockey Finnish champions: 1967 Finnish Cup winners: 1965
See also Porin Karhut Porin Ässät Porin Ässät football
External links
References