The season started on 30 August 2008 and finished with the championship final on 23 May 2009, interrupted by a winter break from early December to late February.

This change of modus was decided upon on 19 July 2008 at the annual general meeting of the German rugby association, the DRV.

It was decided to expand the league to ten teams for 2009-10, meaning only one club was to be relegated in 2009, and two promoted.

[1] The defending champion was SC 1880 Frankfurt, who beat RG Heidelberg in the 2007-08 final, while the RK 03 Berlin was newly promoted to the league.

With Kerstin Ljungdahl[2] and Dana Teagarden,[3] two female head referees have been officiating in the Rugby-Bundesliga in 2008-09.