EHF mourns the death of its Honorary Member Claude Rinck

Claude Rinck was a French international back in the days when handball was still played with teams of 11 players. Later, in the early 1990s, he became one of the founding fathers of the European Handball Federation.

In 1991, when the EHF was officially founded and Staffan Holmqvist from Sweden was elected the first EHF President, Rinck was one of the leading persons in handball who were part of the first EHF Executive Committee.

That same year, Rinck became the first EHF Methods Commission Chairman, a position he held for nine years until 2000. Since then, his name has been forever connected to the EHF RINCK Convention, an agreement between handball federations across Europe, aimed at coordinating and mutually recognising standard guidelines and certificates for coaches’ education. Initially six federations signed the agreement, meanwhile 43 federations have done so.

Rinck also helped develop the game in the numerous positions he held throughout the years at the club and national federation level in his native France.

“Claude Rinck’s contribution to European handball cannot be rated highly enough. Under his chairmanship of the Methods Commission, the Rinck Convention, which has established mutually recognised standards for coaching, was developed and implemented across a constantly growing number of our member federations,” says EHF President Michael Wiederer.

“For more than 30 years, he never lost touch with the EHF and at same time initiated and accompanied countless handball activities in his native France. Claude was an extraordinary human and a true enthusiast of our sport. He will be truly missed.”

The EHF joins in the mourning of its Honorary Member’s passing in expressing its deepest sympathies and condolences to Claude Rinck’s family and friends.

photos © 2023 Anze Malovrh / kolektiff