Bernhard Busch was a member of the West German handball team that lost the match for the bronze medal 21-18 against Poland after extra time at the 1976 Montréal Olympics. He earned 42 international caps. Domestically, he played with Grün-Weiß Dankersen Minden from 1970-79, helping them to win West German titles in 1971 and 1977 and West German Cups in 1975, 1976, and 1979. In 1976, Dankersen lost the EHF Cup Winners’ Cup final versus Club Balonmano Granollers from Spain. In 1979 Busch was transferred to SV Bayer 04 Leverkusen.