They had played on a local level until 1986 when Alfred Werner took over the head of the women's section.

Two consecutive promotions in 1988 and 1989 took the club to the Regionalliga (West), then Germany's top football league for women.

A second place in their first season 1989–90 qualified Heike Rheine for the newly founded Bundesliga.

On 10 March 1998, the women's section split from the club, becoming independent under the name FFC Heike Rheine.

Rheine continued its decline, and after playing below the top two leagues for eight seasons the club dissolved on 30 September 2016.