It is no small thing for any sport to talk about people who have achieved great careers. This is especially true for rugby in Serbia, as a sport that is not very popular. There are too many prejudices surrounding rugby, mostly coming from parents. That’s why we think it is very necessary to highlight the successful careers of athletes who have marked rugby in the last 30 years.
Thirty quality athletes have gone through rugby, however, Milan Rastovac, who is one of the best players that Serbia has had since the collapse of the Yugoslavia, is definitely among the highlights. A dedicated athlete who understands that success is achieved through hard work and sacrifice, it is therefore not surprising that he left a huge mark in a sport like rugby. Although rugby is a team sport, it is not possible to build a strong team without quality individuals. And with Milan we have had some great teams in history. We took the opportunity to talk to Milan about rugby in total, and we are happy to bring you his rugby story.
Rugby.rs: What was your first contact with rugby?
Milan Rastovac: I had my first contact with rugby in the 5th grade of elementary school, when representatives of the Žarkovo rugby club came to the physical education class and did a short demonstration of rugby rules. We were lined up, and then they pointed the finger at me and said that even fat boys can play rugby ;). That was in February 1991.
Rugby.rs: What influenced you to decide that rugby is the sport for you?
Milan Rastovac: At that time I played several sports, but in rugby there was a kind of family atmosphere, in the sense that everyone cared for each other and there was no vanity among the players. In the other sports, somehow everyone was for themselves, so in a way the choice was easy for me.
Rugby.rs: Growing up now and growing up in the 90s are wuite different, how dedicated was your generation to sports in general?
Milan Rastovac: People always say that it was better before, but things are a little different. I honestly think that there is no difference in commitment, I was always someone who did not miss training, but even then it happened that I would come to training and there would be only two of us. The situation is similar now. When there are a lot of matches, strong domestic and international ones, the commitment will always be greater. We need to maintain the competition at a high level, to ensure a sufficient number of matches in all categories, and then we can expect a great turnout at training sessions and progress.
Rugby.rs: Do you remember your first training session?
Milan Rastovac: At the first training session, there were about 100 kids on the field of FC Žarkovo, from several elementary schools in the area. It was interesting and confusing at the same time because nobody knew what rugby was or how to play it. Of those 100 kids, only Goran Vuković and I remained. This was largely influenced by the conflict in the then Yugoslavia, because in June 1991 we were supposed to go to the first tournament in the Republic of Slovenia, and then the war broke out, so a lot of kids stopped training then.
Rugby.rs: Which game left you breathless for the first time, when you were sure that rugby was the sport for you?
Milan Rastovac: It is certainly the first title we won in 1992 in the U16s for the Žarkovo rugby club. We were outsiders, but we managed to make up for the shortcomings with great fighting spirit and win, it seems to me, the first title for the Žarkovo rugby club.
Rugby.rs: The first two RK Pobednik titles certainly changed the history of domestic rugby, how big of a feat was that then?
Milan Rastovac: Already in 1998 year we were close when we lost 2:1 to Partizan in the final, and the following year the championship was interrupted due to the bombing.
To be honest, a good part of us expected it, because we felt that we were getting closer and closer. Although we won the series 2:0, both games were less than 6 points apart.
Rugby.rs: How much individual work was invested in those seasons to lift the Cup of the Serbian Champions?
Milan Rastovac: Our coach was Boško Strugar, who instinctively loved rugby and gave everything to this sport. He was our mentor and supporter, and carried by his enthusiasm, we all gave our best in order to reach the goal and the first title for Pobednik Rugby Club.
I remember just training, eating and sleeping ;).
Rugby.rs: After returning from Partizan, Pobednik had a generation that won titles for several seasons in a row. Only that Regional League remains to complete the whole in the region. How close was RK Pobednik?
Milan Rastovac: We were both near and far. Honestly, the Nada rugby club was at a much higher level than us in every aspect, and also from other clubs in the area. We almost didn’t have our club house until now, and we strugle to fing pich for training practice. We achieved high results in that period for the reason that we really functioned as one big family, we always went through both good and difficult moments together.
Rugby.rs: Throughout the years, you played in several positions both in the line and in the scrum. Which position could best define your style of play?
Milan Rastovac: I played in several positions, but only for forced reasons, because at that moment we didn’t have a better solution or I was freeing the position for someone younger. I have played a Number 8 and a flanker, but it never came “naturally” to me. I felt good in the position of outside center and full back, and those positions could describe my way of playing.
Rugby.rs: During all these years you made 45 appearances and scored 55 points for the National Team. Do you remember your first game?
Milan Rastovac: I believe that I played many more matches for the national team, because at that time before each cycle, a test match was played, mostly in Romania, and before Poland and Malta we even had two test matches against teams from the first Romanian division.
I think I played my first game in Pančevo in 1997, I entered in the last 10 minutes, I’m not sure who we played against. For that game, we were preparing in Banja Vrujici for 7 days, training 2 or even 3 times a day, something that we can hardly imagine today.
Rugby.rs: During your rich career, which national team match do you always remember?
Milan Rastovac: I would choose two games, we lost the first and won the second.
The first game is against Belgium, at the old Heysel in the center of Brussels, the game was played in the fall of 1998. What I remember is that we traveled to Belgium by train, in which half of the players hid in the toilets on the way, because there were no tickets for all the players, and the person who organize travel was Predrag Milanko ;).
Another thing that reminds me of it is that during that period there was a lot of propaganda about the bombing of Serbia (then Yugoslavia), so the whole trip had an additional weight.
We lost the game 12:6, although we had a great opportunity to score an essay near the end of the game and put ourselves in a position to win.
The game that always brings a smile back to my face is the one we played in Malta in 2005, when we won quite convincingly. Apart from the victory itself, the whole cycle was important, the preparatory games against strong Romanian teams, where we were physically outplayed but we learned a lot from those games. We also played that cycle in Poland, where we lost the difference essay (11:18), which shows that we played equally against serious opponents. Unfortunately, already in the next cycle, the routine was lost, there were no test matches and we dropped significantly. The point is that without strong opponents there is no progress in the game.
Rugby.rs: How much has your perspective on rugby changed since you became a coach?
Milan Rastovac: I became a coach before the age of 30, when I was playing at the same time, at the time when the late Boško Strugar dedicated himself to the younger categories, on several occasions also in the Serbian national team, as a coach of the 15s and 7s, so I that close.
You think differently as a player, and differently as a coach, which is normal. What is definitely not right is to be a coach and play, but that is often the case here in Serbia.
Rugby.rs: We wanted to write that you became the coach of RK Rad after finishing your career, but you still haven't finished your career, here in the 2023 season you recorded performances as well as points. How much longer do you plan to play?
Milan Rastovac: Corona had a lot of effect on all the clubs that had to deal with players, so it happened on several occasions that Marko Kapor and I jumped into the team so that the injured players could recover. Unfortunately, the domestic championship is at such a level that players in their fifth decade can play on an equal footing. I hope for better times and strong matches in the domestic league.
I honestly don’t plan to play, but I’m glad to be able to help when the team needs it.
Rugby.rs: RK Rad is the Champion of Serbia, and according to everything, they will defend the title of Champion this season as well, how far do you think Građevinari can go?
Milan Rastovac: I would follow up on the previous answer, that we are waiting for better times for rugby and many more equal games in the domestic league. Some changes have to be made, a lot of clubs are full of players, they don’t have a field to play matches, we have to find the right solution so that rugby can be played every weekend, even if rugby is 10-a-side. We have been playing with 18/19 players for the last two or three seasons, so for that reason we devote a lot of time to the way we train, in the season / off-season in order to avoid injuries.
In the spring part, RK Rad played only 2 games, against Dinamo, and in the championship of the week, three tournaments were played where only 2 teams appeared in the second and 3 in the third. In my opinion it is devastating.
Rugby club Rad is actively looking for clubs that could host us abroad, as well as those that we could invite to Serbia in order to give the players a motive to compete and prove themselves.
This year, we spent 4 days preparing in Bajina Bašta, the first time after more than 12 years, which I consider a great success because it all boils down to the great enthusiasm of a part of the team that is pushing this whole story around rugby, specifically in the Rad Rugby Club.
Rugby.rs: Are you planning to go to the Rugby World Cup?
Milan Rastovac: Yes. Accommodation and transportation are already organized, we just need to get the tickets ;).
I’m going with Marko Kapore and Goran Vuković, for the weekend, we’ll watch 2 games, I honestly don’t know which one, and it doesn’t matter.
Rugby matches are a real pleasure, so I’m glad we managed to organize and attend such a big competition.
Rugby.rs: Which national team will you support, that is, who do you like to watch the most?
Milan Rastovac: I always support a team that is warrior-minded and persistent in its game, regardless of the name. What I’m saying is that the game will always give you a chance and you should always fight and never give up on the idea that you can win no matter what the odds are before the game itself. Non-rugby, I like teams that fight to the end.
Rugby.rs: Which match from the World Cup will remain in your memory?
Milan Rastovac: The first rugby final I watched was in 1995 between South Africa and New Zealand. New Zealand with the famous Lomu seemed unstoppable, but South Africa won in the final. The match was no essay, quite a chess match but in the end a great joy for the country from Africa led by the great Nelson Mandela.
Rugby.rs: What do you like to do in your free time, what are your hobbies?
Milan Rastovac: I live near Ada Ciganlija and Košutnjak, so I often use the opportunity to spend time in those places, which I think are the real wealth of Belgrade. I also have a boat, so I use the opportunity to escape from the noise and spend time on two wonderful rivers, the Sava and the Danube.
Rugby.rs: What do you have to say to young rugby players in Serbia?
Milan Rastovac: To constantly learn and develop, both mentally and physically. There are many top athletes in Serbia, starting with Novak Djokovic, from whom we can learn a lot – how to train, how to eat, how to take care of ourselves.
Rugby is a wonderful game that can be played in many ways, play it with a smile on your face.
