Good rugby at Ada Ciganlija
In the weekend behind us, the U18 juniors played the Belgrade Trophy tournament, which is also scored for the Serbian Championship. Five teams took part: BRK Crvena Zvezda, RK Rad, RK Čelik, RK Kruševac and RK Borac Starčevo.
The Belgrade Trophy tournament, in our opinion, lived up to expectations. We cannot say that we have seen extra quality rugby at a high level, but we can be satisfied. It remains a pity that we didn’t see RK Dinamo 1954 at the tournament, as well as several senior juniors of RK Rada, who had obligations in the match of the senior championship of Serbia With these players, they would definitely get an even better and more interesting competition. If the tournament was on Saturday, there would probably be more participants.
The environment of playing the tournament
The playing conditions were very good, the field was in very good condition, marked according to standards. The functioning of the rugby 7 tournament is very demanding as far as the organization on the field itself is concerned. The flow of the ball was at an incredibly high level, because there were only 3 balls to play with, for that we can be grateful to Zvezda’s younger categories as well as the organizing club. It is only necessary to pay attention to the fact that tournaments of this type are played with quality balls.
What is especially pleasing is that there were a lot of spectators in the stands and around the field. Interest in rugby is definitely growing We must also highlight the live broadcast of the tournament. The streaming and recording was of high quality throughout the tournament, the only complaint is the score keeping, but this does not reduce the quality of the recording in any way. The stream was watched, which is not surprising, because the cameraman performed the task at the highest level.
Tournament information
Venue: Ada Ciganlija, Belgrade
Organization: BRK Crvena Zvezda
Date: 25.09.2022.
Kickoff: 13.30 часова
Weather: Clowdy, 15C
Reffery: Aleksandar Lelik
Reffery: Vladimir Radulović
Reffery: Relja Bulajić
Match comessionnaire: Stevan Ilijašević
Replay: Sportuzivo
Rad won the tournament undefeated
As in the previous tournament, Rad took first place in this one without defeat. It is interesting that there were only 3 younger juniors in the whole team of Građevinar, that the rest of the team was made up of older cadets. In the first three games, Rad justified the role of favorite, where they easily defeated their rivals, against Borca and Celik they did not receive a single point. They had difficulties against Kruševac, where they lost 7-0 at halftime, but the Kruševljana were still tired, because it was their second game in a row. Before the start of the competition, we projected a big fight between Rad and Dinamo, but unfortunately, due to injuries and obligations in the senior competition, Dinamo lost the connection.
Table:
| Поз (Pos) | Екипа (Team) | У(GP) | Б(Pts) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  РК Рад | 4 | 38 |
| 2 |  РК Крушевац | 4 | 26 |
| 3 |  РК Челик | 4 | 21 |
| 4 |  БРК Црвена Звезда | 3 | 19 |
| 5 |  РК Борац Старчево | 4 | 14 |
| 6 |  РК Динамо 1954 | 2 | 8 |
Fighting for medals
If we exclude the Rad matches, we had the opportunity to see extremely exciting matches. As was the case at the very end of the second game, when the referee played a counter penalty to Kruševljani from which Emir Mešković made perhaps the move of the tournament and scored a try for the victory of Čelik 19-17. Kruševljani really did not have enough concentration in the finish of the matches, because in the game against Zvezda in the last attack they received an try and lost the game. They ended up beating Borac 50-0, which gave them 4th overall .
BRK Crvena Zvezda did well in the tournament, although they were extremely thin with the number of players, in the end they still finished in second place. They achieved three very uncertain victories and managed to get silver. Čelik eventually won bronze thanks to an excellent start to the tournament where Kruševac and Borac won and lost to Zvezda at the end of the second half. We have already said that Kruševac was fourth, while Borac from Starčevo was in last place.
4 takeaways
Too many games in a short space of time
A very interesting topic for discussion, but very important. The Serbian Championship for U18 juniors is played in the format of rugby on the 7th. The matches are extremely intense and physically demanding. When a tournament like this is played, it is played without a break, it often happens that a team plays two games in a row. These are great efforts that lead to injuries. On the other hand, teams very often count 7 or 8 players who have to last the whole tournament.
Again, the reality is different and requires adaptation to current possibilities. We are not England or France, where we have available all the dates on the fields so that we can make calculations But then again, we can do a lot to prevent large efforts. Take for example the last rugby day that took place at Ada Ciganlija. At 11:00 a.m., the U14 pioneer tournament was held, and at 1:30 p.m., the U18 junior tournament started. For example, the U18 junior tournament could have started at 11:00 a.m. and two hours of rugby could have been played. Then a break of two hours should be made, where the U14 pioneers could play their tournament.
During the break, the juniors would have two hours to rest, relax and prepare for the end of the tournament. When the U14s finish their tournament, the U18s continue the competition. With this kind of organization, we would not lose anything from time, and we would have rested juniors where there would certainly be much less injuries. The only thing that would stand out is that the U18steams would spend another three hours in the tournament.
U18s are ready for senior rugby
There is nothing much to talk about, the juniors fully justified their words on the field. Players born in 2004 are ready for senior rugby. They have their place in senior teams. They are not just there to fill a number, but have significant roles. This is exactly the result of the work of clubs and RSS with younger categories. A large number of players started training 7 or 8 years ago, and have the same number of seasons in the younger categories During that time, they had camps in Karatash, development rugby academies, the Serbian national team and much more. They now enter the senior competition as quality young talents who need to be honed and developed in senior rugby.
Young rugby players are coming
The future is definitely coming, and a very bright one at that. It is up to the clubs to create the atmosphere and conditions to welcome talented rugby players to the senior team. Generation 2005. is already ready to take her place in senior rugby, not to fill holes, but to play an essential and important role. Someone will say that we are full of optimism and that we write eulogies about young people. But it really is, if you don’t believe us, come and watch a tournament. In this case, you can watch a video of the entire tournament. This is perhaps our biggest impression from the tournament, you simply have a large number of quality young players who play for several clubs: RK Rad, RK Borac, RK Dinamo 1954, BRK Crvena Zvezda and RK Kruševac. That’s the future. And very bright.
Quick ball flow, support and excellent positioning
This trait graces all teams, without further ado. The enhancement of rugby 7 has resulted in better technique and positioning in attack and defence, as well as better movement without the ball. Rugby 7s requires good technique if you want to be competitive. You have to have good movement without the ball and be in timely support, because otherwise you lose the ball. You have to be quick, skilled, agile and focused at all times. Of course, you will get into a situation where you play 1 on 1 with some sprinter in a big space, but that is rugby 7, it is played quickly, points are scored and it comes in various situations. The negative effect is certainly that the players of the first and second line have quite a big challenge to answer the tasks.
TOP 10 players
As we already announced and did in the article TOP 10 U16 cadets, we will not make a ranking list, but we will mention which ten players made the biggest impression on us. We did not take into account the players from RK Čelik because they play outside the competition in the Serbian Championship. The list itself includes players born 2004 . and 2005. , 2006. year has its own U16s list. We randomly generated the order.
Nemanja Lazić
Position: Center, flanker
YOB:2004.
Comparison: Stirling Mortlock
Currently leading the scorers list, an absolute force in attack. Physically, he is dominant, strong, staunch. He has a killer instinct when he sniffs an try. He finds holes in the opposing defense. He is excellent in the follow-up, where when he gets a quick ball or an offload he becomes unstoppable. He has an excellent and smart shot. To be an absolutely complete player, he must improve his defense.
Matija Pelva
Position: wing
YOB: 2005.
Comparison: Will Jordan
We don’t know where to start. Perhaps the most complete player in the tournament. Attack perfect. In defense impassable. Sprinter. Technique at the highest level. He changes direction so quickly, that when combined with speed, it looks like opponents are standing and receiving an try is inevitable. In the tournament, it happened several times that the opponent breaks through Rad’s defense, but somehow it’s always frustrating because Pelva always catches up to you.
Momčilo Kralj
Position: Flyhalf
YOB: 2004.
Comparason Reece Hodge
Momčilo has already cemented his place in the senior competition, but he always shines in the younger categories. A player who makes a difference on the pitch. Fighting, excellent in defense, very creative in attack. One of the most intelligent players. Excellent overview of the game, strong in contact, support and possesses a good tactical shot, and it is only part of the offensive set that will throw at you at all times.
Dalibor Spasić
Position: Wing, center
YOB: 2005.
Comparason Doug Howlett
Want a player who does everything on the field? Universalist? Dalibor is exactly that, he does everything on the field, he is able to deliver every task or idea of the coach. He is neither the fastest runner, nor an aggressive and effective tackler, nor a strong and penetrating player. But if you need a role player you can rely on to get the job done, this is him.
Igor Švraka
Position Flanker, Lock
YOB: 2005.
Comparason: Schalk Burger
Exceptional in contact, both in defense and attack. A player who feels comfortable in contact, so you can often get an offload when you think it is physically impossible to do something like that. This makes him a very penetrating player, who can play at a very high tempo and fulfill a complex game plan. In defense, he is staunch and strong, one of the best shooters in the tournament.
Aleksa Jovanović
Position Flanker, Lock
YOB: 2004.
Comparison: Pieter Stephanus du Toit
In recent times, things are quickly forgotten. Until a few seasons ago, RK Kruševac did not have junior categories, but a few players still trained. Among them was Aleksa, who came to Belgrade by himself from Kruševac to play rugby, at only 13-14 years old. It is the will, the desire and the love for rugby where we can only stand on the sidelines and admire. Now he’s a six-foot-tall guy playing rugby at a high level. It is one of the Kruševac engines. Standard member of the U18 junior national team. During his career, he always played in the line because of his technique, and now he has grown into a very agile and mobile second line. However, he can still play at a high level at center or on the wing.
Jovan Radovanović
Position: Wing, fullback, center
YOB: 2005.
Comparison: Jesse André Kriel
A very fast player, he changes direction quickly and when he smells the hole the action usually ends with an try. A player who really observes and follows the opponent’s setup, and very often knows how to use the good shot he possesses when he judges that you are not defending the space behind the defensive line. He always takes advantage of such situations, that’s why he is currently second on the list of scorers. Defense can be problematic, but offense is still the dominant factor in his game.
Nikola Pumpalović
Position: Lock
YOB: 2005.
Comparison: Tomás Lavanini
An absolute surprise and revelation for us. A very mobile player with excellent physical predispositions. Fast and aggressive in defense. He has good technique, reads the game well. He is strong in contact, very confident as a ball carrier. One of the most deserving that Zvezda won second place in the end. Zvezda has excellent material that needs to be developed and nurtured in order to get an excellent senior player. Everything is there, you just need to be patient, diligent and persistent.
Veljko Mitić
Position: Lock
YOB: 2004.
Comparison: Johny Hill
Veljko is definitely not aware of his capabilities and what he can do on the field. But that’s exactly what the junior categories are for, where you have space, time and opportunities to explore your limits and gain experience. The moment he realized all his qualities, he started to play as he knows how. And it was no accident that he scored 4 tries.
Noah Gruetzmacher
Position: Lock
YOB: 2005.
Comparason: Grant Gilchrist
In contact with one of the strongest players in the junior competition. Extremely physically strong and penetrating player. Обучен за играње у брзом и јаком темпу. In contact, he offers an offload and quickly presents the ball in the ruck. In defense, he is extremely strong and a good striker. It is perfectly positioned. He has an enviable technique, participates in the open game.
Cover photo: Darko Duckin
