High level of rugby
We didn’t have a chance to watch the pioneer tournaments this year, so we decided to watch the last one. And we were not wrong at all. We were quite excited. Every team at the tournament showed a serious game. On several occasions we thought we were at a senior game. When you see that the kids playing are physically huge and when you see the intensity of the contact, sometimes you think that even much older players wouldn’t have a good time.
In the announcement of the competition, we said that we expect a great fight in the tournaments. And we got that throughout the season. Clubs can be extremely happy with the progress of the game and the players. The future is definitely here. To remind, in the years where we had the opportunity to see a great fight between the teams, in the end we got a very good generation. This is exactly what we can expect from this generation in 2008/2009. But we must not ignore that it is necessary to strengthen the numerical condition. The ideal opportunity is this winter and the Winter League to make it happen. Don’t forget, when you have 20-25 players in training, training is much better and more intense.
Team progress during the season
We had absolutely enough time to pay attention to each team and draw a few conclusions regarding their game. Unlike the TOP 10 players, here we will also say a few words about the guests and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The team of RK Žarkov also participated in the competition, but they did not perform in the last tournament, as we did not have the opportunity to see them, we will not even mention them in the text, because we cannot analyze the team as well as the competition that we did not see.
RK Čelik │ The team that won all four tournaments and is undefeated. With the exception where in the last tournament Celik lost officially 25-0 due to the interruption of the match by the head referee. Ali was leading against Rad 10-5 at that moment. A team that plays very hard, to which you must not leave space, because it knows how to use that space. They play diversely because they are strong in all positions. In one action, we even had the opportunity to see a box kick by a demi, and even a counter after an opponent’s shot. They have a good and mobile scrum. Their line is the more dangerous part of the team, because there are players who have a very good tactical shot, which we had the opportunity to see at the tournament. Their defense is impenetrable, which you can see from the results of the tournament, where they received only a few essays in the entire competition.
RK Dinamo 1954 │ Pančevci has definitely a very strong generation of rugby players. We can see the proof that it works well with them in the game itself and the results it achieves. The last time we watched them, Dinamo had a dominant player to whom 90% of the ball went, the game system was to bring the ball out and pass to him, but as always happens, such players stop training when everyone else grows up and is no longer dominant. Now the situation is quite different, Dinamo plays as a team, with a lot of quality. A large number of players came to the fore from the collective game. A balance was found in the line and scrum game. The team’s main playmaker is Vuk Olushki, while the Grozdić brothers lead the scrum circle. They are characterized by a solid game in attack and defense. Dinamo has a lot of players, but as we repeat again, we should always work on promotions and replenishing the team.
RK Rad │ We can say that they deservedly won the Serbian Championship. During the season, they improved quite a bit as a team. At the last tournament, they were denied the help of Uroš Vukašinović, who is one of the best players in the U14 pioneer competition in general. But the team led by Lazar Bajić, Danilo Rakić and Aleksandar Lazarevic played a good enough game to end up with the best distinction. Their game is characterized by good structure and organization in the game. It is known exactly what is whose job. They have several strong ball carriers who can break through the opposing defense line very easily. In the defensive line, there are great shooters that not even a fly can fly past. Our recommendation is similar to that of other teams, recruitment is absolutely mandatory.
BRK Crvena Zvezda │ The vast majority of the players who were the best in the petlići in previous years joined Jovan Rakić and the team in the pioneers. A very combative team that likes fast play and hand play. The above-mentioned Rakić is definitely a decisive player for Zvezda, because he is already quite experienced as he already has several seasons under his belt. They are a team that grows and improves as time goes by. Which, in the end, is also shown by the results, because they managed to reduce the gap behind the leading teams, only to overtake some in the end. The future is on them, but like other teams, they have to train a lot and recruit new players non-stop.
RK Dorćol 1998 │ A team that grows from year to year, but also needs recruitment most urgently, especially in the category of pioneers. In the coming years, they won’t have a problem because a talented generation of roosters is coming, but until they wait, it is necessary to fill the ranks. In the last tournament, they were missing several players, above all David Salih. They are characterized by a very fast game, where they like to use offloads and thus force the opponent’s defense to be even faster. Their problem is the defense, which is often not disciplined and organized. They would literally receive 50% less essays just to position themselves better and have an artier monitoring the situation.
Recruitment and filling of the team
If you want to play in junior rugby 15 or at least the version of rugby that is closest to it, you have to think about it several years in advance. Short-term planning, for example there is time, now something else is a priority, will put you in a position to rush and waste precious time. Working with young people is not something that will give you instant results, it is a long-term process that requires careful planning and preparation. You simply have to have a long-term plan that you will implement through stages. Take the U14s for example. They play in the rugby 10 format. If you have 10 players now, how will you have a rugby 15 team three years from now? Of course not at all. Rugby is not such a popular sport in Serbia that children come by themselves because they see it on television or the Internet, or that you can select children who can or cannot play rugby.
That’s why we should think about it now. And now make a good base of players. If you have 20-25 pioneers, you can hope that in three years you will have an educated team of U18 juniors who are ready to play rugby 15. The ideal opportunity is this winter, when you need to be very aggressive in your presentation in schools, on social networks and in the media. The goal should be for the largest audience to know as much as possible about rugby. The same applies to the players, who should also be active in representing rugby at school or in the region where they live.
The width of the field
The U14 pioneers have overcome the dimensions of the field they are playing on now. Since the Rugby Union of Serbia made the decision to change the year 2020 in one year.Since the Rugby Union of Serbia made the decision to make change regarding YOB of participation players, so all the players are older 1 year then before. Which means they are physically bigger as well as more mature. The field of current dimensions is small for them, there is no space, it is too narrow. It gets moments for players to score essays from contact instead of using space. It gets moments for players to score essays from contact instead of using space. However, modern rugby makes maximum use of space and should seriously consider increasing the dimensions of the field.
Tournament information:
Venue Rugby pitch on KIng Peter I stadium
Date: 12.11.2022. .
Kickoff: 17:00h
Referee: Relja Bulajić
Referee: Vladimir Radulović
Match comissionnaire: Nenad Stanković
Doctor: Srđan Nikolić
Temperature: 12C
Statistics: League tables, results and scorer list
Table:
| Поз (Pos) | Екипа (Team) | У(GP) | Б(Pts) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  РК Челик | 4 | 40 |
| 2 |  РК Рад | 4 | 30 |
| 3 |  РК Динамо 1954 | 4 | 21 |
| 4 |  БРК Црвена Звезда | 4 | 19 |
| 5 |  РК Дорћол 1998 | 4 | 14 |
| 6 |  РК Жарково | 3 | 6 |
TOP 10 players
These players made the biggest impression on us in the tournament. Considering that we are watching the pioneers for the first time this season, we have also done a lot of consultations with the coaches of the teams, and on this occasion we thank them for that. We did not take into account the players of Čelik. The same applies to the Žarkovo players who did not participate in the tournament. We did not rank the list, the order is random.
Jovan Rakić
center
YOB: 2008.
Comparason: Conrad Smith
Fast and penetrating player. An excellent and brave shooter, who rarely misses a shot during the season. On several occasions we have had the opportunity to see him win contact while playing defense, where he brings the attacking player back. He reads the game well, has a killer instinct.
Lazar Bajić
Position: prop
YOB 2009.
Comparason: Bakkies Botha
It took us some time to realize that Lazar is a younger pioneer after all. In order to defend against strange looks, we must point out that on the field he looks as if he is older than everyone. Physically, he is extremely fit, strong, stable. Loves contact both in attack and defense. A real force in the scrum. Even though he currently plays in the post position, it inevitably reminds us of Bakis Bota from his best days.
Filip Grozdić
prop
YOB: 2008.
Comparason: Jacobus Petrus “Os” du Randt
We could not see him at the tournament. He was up to the task in all segments. However, he left the biggest impression on us in defense as a good striker. In the attack, he stood out both in support and in securing the ruck, where Dinamo always had the ball safely. He is excellent in contact, when he gets the ball in a full run it is very difficult to stop him.
Vasilije Nastić
prop
YOB 2009.
Comparason: Jan Nathaniel du Plessis
A player who likes a fast game, where he best combines strength and speed. A confident ball carrier who is always a threat to the opposing defensive line. In defense, he is a good rebounder and always positions himself well around the ruck and restarts in general. One of the most important screws of the Zvezda game.
Danilo Rakić
Position:Flyhalf
YOB 2008.
Comparason: Handré Pollard
A very good player on both sides of the pitch. He knows how to transfer the coach’s ideas to the field. He is disciplined and keeps structure in his team’s play as a playmaker. Very good in support and cancer. He has a good technique that allows him to do well in a small space.
Lazar Grozdić
prop
YOB: 2008.
Comparason: Martín Leandro Castrogiovanni
Confident ball carrier and penetrating player. Firm enough to withstand foot contact. In contact, it offers an offloud option. If he is knocked down in the crab, he makes a long presentation, which allows his team to play quickly. In defense, he is extremely strong, a very good striker.
Andrej Markov
Position:Flyhalf
YOB 2009.
Comparason: Morné Steyn
A very fast player who can dictate a very fast tempo in the game. He positions himself well in the game, which gives him a big advantage because he is not easy to mark in defense. A good passing technique with the option to go in support makes him a very tricky player to defend against. Although he is a younger pioneer, he is extremely brave in defense where he stops players who are physically bigger than him.
Matija Petrović
Position: hooker, center
YOB 2009.
Comparason Luke Anthony Cowan-Dickie
A fast player with a strong center of gravity, who is extremely durable in contact. One of the better young pioneers. He has good hands in the attack, he is very good in the ruck Defensively, positioning needs to be improved, but that’s why he is a good tackler.
Aleksandar Lazarevic
center
YOB 2009.
Comparason: Jamie Roberts
Extremely penetrating player, very strong and confident ball carrier. A player who is explosive, quick and stable in contact. He delighted us because he won every contact, he always won a few meters in contact. It’s very hard to knock him down. The same applies to the defense, where he is aggressive and a very good tackler.
Vuk Oluški
Position:Flyhalf
YOB: 2008.
Comparason: Daniel William Carter
In our opinion, the player who has perhaps the greatest rugby intelligence in this generation of rugby players. The way he thinks and the way he makes decisions is at an extremely high level. When you have a player who plays in the opener position and occasionally in the demi position who sees the space around the ruck, and who will really attack it, then you can always hope for a good result. He has a good kick and is a very good defensive player.
