Life is like that, you just don’t know which way it will drag you. Even some small and insignificant thing is enough to happen to you, which will later influence the shaping of your future. Such is the case with rugby, where participation in a school tournament can lead to rugby becoming an integral part of your life. It was this rugby virus that got attached to Igor Stojadinović, who spent a quarter of a century with the egg ball. It is a great honor and pleasure for us to have the opportunity to tell his rugby story together with Igor, because we believe that he left a lot of things behind.
Rugby.rs: When did you start playing rugby?
Igor Stojadinović: I started training rugby in 1996. when Dinamo organized an interschool competition. Then I was invited by Zoran Pešić, the captain of the U14s selection in the school team of Elementary School “Isidora Sekulić”, we took first place in that competition. I liked the game of rugby then, and since that time I have not separated from rugby.
Rugby.rs: How did you learn about rugby?
Igor Stojadinović: I found out about rugby two years before that competition, when I moved with my family to the “Tesla” neighborhood in the same building where the legend of Pančevo Dinamo Dušan Novakov lived. In the shared basement with my father, I sorted the shelves and found old football boots, a punctured egg-shaped ball and a colorful jersey. I asked my father what this was, because I wasn’t familiar with the props, he replied that it was rugby equipment and that I shouldn’t touch it because it was from a neighbor. It was interesting to me because the props were unusual.
Rugby.rs: What do you remember from your youth rugby experience?
Igor Stojadinović: From youth rugby, probably like all generations before and after, the “Karataš” camp is connected. There, all generations went through training processes and various experiences and acquired skills. Also, one of the important competitions and the performance in the national team jersey at the European competition within Group C, the final against Moldova, in Gornji Milanovac, where we lost on home ground due to the difference in the finish of the game. I remember that the stadium was full of fans and that defeat hit me hard. As for domestic, youth rugby, I remember that there was a great rivalry between Dinamo and Dorćol, that those matches were life and death, that we perceived it as to be or not to be. In that period, Dinamo had a dominant team where we took almost all the first places from the pioneers to the juniors.
Rugby.rs: If you were to compare the younger categories in your time and now, what conclusions would you reach?
Igor Stojadinović: The conclusions are clear from the number of players and the number of teams participating in the competition, which today is at an enviable level. At that time, there were clubs with younger categories and one selection each: Partizan, Žarkovo, Dorćol, Kruševac, Dinamo and BRK.
Rugby.rs: In the first years of this century, Dinamo had a strong team, how difficult was it for you to fit into senior rugby, how much attention was paid when you switched from juniors to seniors?
Igor Stojadinović: It wasn’t paid as much attention as it is today, unfortunately at that time Dinamo lacked senior players and literally when I became a senior junior I started playing senior rugby. I also remember the first game against Žarkovo in Kosutnjak as a young player, it was an incredible experience that I will always remember. We won then, and I made my debut in that game with two other older juniors, Vladimir Toškov and Vladimir Smiljanić. I scored the essay and I was overjoyed, of course there was a rugby “baptism” for the senior team by the senior Dinamo players.
Rugby.rs: An unfortunate injury caused you to withdraw from active playing for a while, how hard was it for you?
Igor Stojadinović: An unfortunate injury took me away from rugby for 6 months, which was difficult for me, the recovery was long and difficult, but I still didn’t give up.
Rugby.rs: Nevertheless, you continued your journey in rugby as a coach of younger categories, after that as a sports worker and someone who spent 25 years in Dinamo. Dinamo has always had a very strong rugby school, how difficult was it for you to transfer to coaching?
Igor Stojadinović: I accepted that invitation with pleasure, I gave myself to the maximum, rolled up my sleeves and started working with the younger categories. With the help of the club, we also organized a school league similar to the 6 Nations Cup, where each school had T-shirts in the colors of the participating national team. It was a prelude to a good start for the younger categories Био сам тренер од пионира до јуниора и те генерације су писале победничку историју Динама у омладинским селекцијама.
Rugby.rs: The history of Dinamo is quite turbulent, since 2010. until 2015. the club actually did not exist, when you and Miomir Kalabić reactivated the club from scratch. How much time, strength and will did it take to rise Dinamo from the ashes?
Igor Stojadinović: Problems in the club followed, disagreements between the management and the players of the senior team, which resulted in the disintegration of the entire club, which unfortunately resulted in not participating in the competition since 2010. until 2015 . The account was blocked, the debts were enormous, the premises and field were confiscated, a dark chapter for Dinamo. I remember when we received the call that Miomir (Kalabić) and I were evicting the premises, we literally snatched old cups and medals, as well as photos, from the hands of people who wanted to throw them away. We have saved a part of the history of Pančevo Dinamo. In 2015. where Miomir Kalabić and I started the renewal of the club’s work with the help of the then leadership of the RSS, Stevan Ilijašević and Marko Jovanović.
I remember the first training session with 4 players who came to the gathering of the senior team, street lights and a piece of grass near the sports hall. Many did not give us a chance to do anything. The first coach of the younger categories was Aleksandar Nedeljković Čobi, who in a short time formed the younger categories of Dinamo. The first coach of the senior team was Milan Mitrović, former player of Kruševac. The players of Borac from Starčevo also helped us to form the senior team.
The years passed and the successes followed, where after 7 years of intensive work we achieved that Dinamo competes in all categories, the city stadium for the club’s activities and new club premises were returned, the financial situation was consolidated. The coaching duo Đorđe Gavrilović and Ambruš Vladimir took over the baton. Nikola Advigov and Đorđe Gavrilović are responsible for the younger categories. Dinamo has around 60 active players today in all categories and I hope that number will grow. I would like to thank all the players and coaches as well as the management for being and remaining with Dinamo Pancevo and maintaining the tradition that has been going on since 1954.
Rugby.rs: Also since 2014. you were an active member of the Rugby Union of Serbia, initially as a member of the Board of Directors, where you found an alarming situation in every respect, how difficult was it to correct the situation?
Igor Stojadinović: Enthusiasts of that time and dedicated fighters in the rugby world of Serbia, Stevan Ilijašević and Marko Jovanović, invited me to join the work of the RSS management board. Together with Goran Porobic from Vojvodina and several sports workers with the idea of making something for future generations. We rolled up our sleeves and started to solve the accumulated problems, let me say that then we found a minus in the coffers of 35,000 euros, several court cases, competition in the younger categories almost did not exist, a huge gap between the clubs, the national team for 3 years without a win, expelling RSS from room and much more. We brought all this to an enviable position with joint efforts, will and self-sacrificing work and solved almost all the problems we encountered, we did all this because we had the idea to really leave something behind for future generations, with a clean face, with a lot of renunciation, and the spirit of rugby helped to let’s make it happen.
Rugby.rs: Not long after, in 2018. you became the President of the Association, where the Association finally stabilized financially, and where we can say that the greatest success was achieved in working with the younger categories. How important is it that clubs constantly work with young people?
Igor Stojadinović: It is very important to work with younger categories, I learned that from the late Boško Strugar, who is a legend of Serbian rugby. He always said “that the younger categories are the key to the success and development of Serbian Rugby” I was guided by that sentence when we really made a big success with youth rugby, where as an Association we made changes and made decisions that influenced the fact that today we have so many players in younger categories. It is important not to stop because nothing can happen overnight, if you start today, the result will only be seen in 4 years. As an Association, we have earmarked a lot of resources, both material and professional, for development programs in clubs, which almost all clubs that are members of the RSS have made maximum use of.
Rugby.rs: Now, when you look at your entire mandate, what are you particularly proud of?
Igor Stojadinović: I am proud of all the players, representatives, clubs, referees, expert teams of the association, employees of RSS, the Management Board of RSS, all volunteers and all good people who selflessly gave themselves for the idea. Serbian Rugby could not have achieved this much success without them, thank you for your support because we did this together.
I would say that the national team is at an enviable level, as well as the professional teams of the national team together with the selector who works seriously for the success of the Serbian national team, the competition of conference 1 of the European Rugby Championship 7 where we hosted numerous male and female national teams, which at the same time contributed to the popularization of our sport and rugby holiday in Serbia. An increase in players in younger categories, assistance in establishing a new club, assistance to clubs in numerous programs of the RSS, financial stability of the RSS. One of the important successes is that we have been recognized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports and where a historic success has been made since the founding of the RSS, which is that we moved from categorization 4 to category 3, which gave us a boost and confirmation that we are doing well, where branch associations at the city and provincial level will be able to apply to the numerous programs made possible by categorization 3. I might add with a smile, maybe it’s the 21st. century of people flying in space, I had the honor that the first official car since the creation of the RSS was bought during my mandate.
Rugby.rs: A new leadership was elected at the Electoral Assembly, what would you say to them?
Igor Stojadinović: I want to tell them that only with joint efforts and the vision that we have all followed since 2014, to continue on the same path to success, to do their best for the formation of new clubs and younger categories and to support the old members of RSS such as Partizan, Zvezda, Dorćol, Vojvodina , Vršac help with the same measures because without them rugby in Serbia would not exist and they deserve it. I am sure that the new administration of the RSS, headed by President Marko Jovanović, will implement it in the next mandate.
Rugby.rs: You left quite a large legacy behind you, is rugby still part of your life plans?
Igor Stojadinović: I am here to help as much as I can. In the coming period, I will probably base myself on club rugby or the Dinamo rugby club, to the extent that my work obligations allow. It is certainly nice to return home to Pancevački Dinamo.
Rugby.rs: Who will you support at the World Cup in France in 2023? ?
Igor Stojadinović: Good question and difficult, today we are playing top rugby, all teams are of equal quality and very serious, nuances will decide. I will support New Zealand though, they are my favourites.
Rugby.rs: What are your hobbies and interests outside of sports?
Igor Stojadinović: My interests outside of sports and my hobby is hunting, I have been doing it for 10 years and I am a very active member of the Pančevo Hunting Association, where I find my peace in nature and hunting itself as a chivalrous part of sports culture and treatment of biodiversity and its improvement.
Rugby.rs: What would you say to young players in Serbia?
Igor Stojadinović: I want to tell them that rugby is a way of life, not just a game, that through work they will realize their dreams, strengthen their character and socialization through the competitive collective sport that rugby provides. Such experience will help them in their further life, both professionally and in their private life.
