Excellent atmosphere, perfect organization and an interesting rugby program
The Vojvodina Rugby Club receives the maximum rating from us for the organization of the beach rugby tournament. It’s always a big challenge to organize a big all-day tournament, but that didn’t stop the experienced Novi Sad players from going according to plan and schedule. The teams had everything they needed for a smooth competition. If something was missing, the host of the program solved unforeseen situations with skillful anticipation and vocal performance.
From the audience’s point of view, you had it all. You had stands from where you could follow the events on the field. You had the Orkus cafe next door where you could refresh and invigorate yourself. You had the opportunity to buy a raffle ticket with a chance to win valuable prizes and a free drink. Good atmosphere, even better rugby, tribunes from where you can watch the matches, refreshing drinks, food, infrastructure of the Strand…..ideal for us!
15th Memorial tournament "Luka Marin"
As we said in the text announcing the tournament, we are very proud that RK Vojvodina traditionally commemorates a teammate and, above all, a friend. At the award ceremony itself, it was very moving where Luka’s father gave an emotional speech where he thanked everyone for participating and organizing the tournament.
Competition system
Originally, the participation of ten teams was planned, which were to be divided into two groups. Unfortunately, the three teams that previously registered did not participate in the tournament, so the Organizing Committee concluded that there are seven teams in the competition and that it is best to play according to the one-on-one system, where each team would play 6 games, i.e. 24 games in total.
Results
RK Arsenal – RK Vojvodina 6-0
RK Borac Starčevo – GRK Vrsac 10-0
Baraberians – RK Rad 2-6
RK Vojvodina – RK Borac Starcevo 4-0
RK Pannonia – RK Rad 0-9
GRK Vrsac – Baraberians 0-8
RK Arsenal – RK Rad 8-4
RK Vojvodina – RK Pannonia 8-1
RK Borac Starčevo – Barabarians 3-4
RK Rad – GRK Vrsac 10-0
Barabarians – RK Arsenal 3-6
RK Panonija – RK Borac Starčevo 1-7
RK Arsenal – GRK Vrsac 11-1
RK Vojvodina – RK Rad 2-5
Barabarians – RK Pannonia 6-2
RK Rad – RK Borac Starčevo 5-1
GRK Vrsac – RK Vojvodina 1-8
RK Arsenal – RK Pannonia 9-2
RK Vojvodina – Barberijensi 3-2
RK Arsenal – RK Borac Starcevo 7-0
GRK Vrsac – RK Pannonia 0-1
Standings
1.RK Arsenal
Wins: 6
Loses: 0
The guests from Montenegro deservedly won the tournament. They were the best and most prepared team. They showed an exceptional game, above all in defense, where they did not allow the opponents to advance. One of the foundations of an organized defense in any form of rugby is aggressiveness on the opposing line, where players do not fall out of system and do not create holes in the defense. When you combine that with effective takedowns, it becomes a wall that the opponent cannot easily bypass or breach. Arsenal players also showed the most in the attack, we had the opportunity to see offloads, two-on-one situations, as well as three-on-two situations that were successfully resolved. However, if we had to choose what made the biggest impression on Arsenal, it was the accompaniment in the attack and the high-rhythm game. The opposing defenses could not match them.
2. RK Rad
Wins: 5
Loses: 1
Građevinari, as last year’s winners, finished in second place this year, with one loss, and that was against Arsenal, who eventually won the tournament. An experienced and solid team that excelled in offloads and the breakthroughs that resulted from them. The first line danced on the sand, and stood out with effective moves. Extremely strong in defense, where they did not allow their opponents to win duels. In particular, the scrum-half excelled in winning balls when tackling, even though the rules are quite different compared to traditional rugby. The match of the day was definitely against Arsenal, where it was uncertain during almost the entire game, that the Montenegrins would break through at the end of the match and celebrate 8-4. By the end of the tournament, the Građevinari were confident, recording five wins and one loss, which was enough for second place.
3. RK Vojvodina
Wins: 4
Loses: 2
After the hiccups at the beginning of the tournament, the home team rallied and recorded excellent games. In the last match of the tournament, in a thriller on the sand, they won against Baraberians 3-2, with an essay in the last seconds. They lost against Rad with a score of 5-2, but they had chances for a better score at the end of the match. Voša played very fighting and hard, maybe they lacked a traditional playmaker who would create the game and accelerate the pace. But that was made up for by the players who were in a great mood to play. The defense was a little creaky, but the impression is more than good We’d like to see more offload play followed by quick accompaniment. Our biggest impression is the quick hands of the players of Vojvodina who switched sides with quick passes and thus were more lethal in attack.
4. Baraberians
Wins: 3
Loses: 3
The only team that is not made up of a club. The team consisted of players from several clubs from Serbia, but also from Croatia. A group of veterans and experienced players who, according to us, played the best. The fans chanted “Joga Bonito” from the stands. We think they played the best rugby of the tournament. Although most players age is in theis 40s , they were extremely motivated and combative on the field. Arsenal, Rad and Vojvodina had to roll up their sleeves well in order to achieve victories. For us, by far the biggest impression is controlling the ball in contact and giving ideal offloads. When you get into the space between the players, beat them in contact and serve the ball to a teammate in a full run. Phenomenal.
5. RK Borac Starčevo
Wins: 2
Loses: 4
The youngest team in the tournament, and convincingly so. Kindergarten from South Banat led by teacher Ćosić, who won the sympathy of all the participants and the audience at the tournament. The boys lack the experience of playing on sand, but we think they did very well, and will be more competitive and experienced next year. It’s not easy when you’re 17 and playing against players who are in their prime. The biggest impression is combativeness and self-sacrifice. Beach rugby is different from traditional rugby, which requires, in addition to speed, the experience of playing on it. It is easier for more experienced players to adapt. But experience is gained through practice, so we think that Starčevci are on the right track.
6. RK Pannonia
Wins: 1
Loses: 5
We are happy that the Pannonia team from Ruma took part in the tournament. We sincerely hope to see them in official competitions soon. They showed great combativeness but also great inexperience, which does not surprise us because they did not perform in the competition for almost a year and a half. In the last game of the tournament, they won 1-0 against Vrsčan, and thus won sixth place with one victory. The potential is there, you just need to hone in and train hard.
7. GRK Vršac
Wins: 0
Loses: 6
As we said in the paragraph above, it was a great pleasure to see the Vrsac on the rugby fields. We will not waste words on their potential because it is huge, the talent is there, it just takes time, experience and patience. Our biggest impression is combativeness and courage. In the last game they played against Ruma boys, which was also a fight for 6. place they had a good chance to win. But to be honest, a lot of players entered from both sides at the end, so maybe the real fight between the original teams, which we in the editorial office were looking forward to, was missing. We hope that we will have the opportunity to watch the Vrsac team again in the fall.
Third half
Favorite rugby half. We had the opportunity to see what should adorn such tournaments on Strand. First and foremost, all the teams stayed to socialize, joke and enjoy themselves with the banquet and the program that accompanied it. That’s exactly what we want to see in rugby, that people want to be there, that it’s fun and beautiful and that they enjoy themselves.
It was relaxing for everyone, but the tension reached its peak when, at 19:00, the traditional beer-drinking competition began. Initially, it was a shock and disbelief for us that last year’s sovereign champion Rajko Janković did not participate. We were heartbroken when he entered as a wildcard at the last minute, to the horror of the competition. There were a total of four qualification groups, from which five participants qualified for the finals. And in the final, a thriller! After the final, we will say tours, as many as three participants finished at the same time. So the official judge made a decision to hold a repechage that will bring the winner. In the end, Aleksandar Đurić from Vršac triumphed.
At 8:00 p.m., the raffle organized by the RK Vojvodina began, where valuable prizes were awarded. We from the editorial office hoped that one of the prizes would be the annual rental of a cabin on the beach or a popular štrandnjak, so we equipped ourselves with a large amount of tickets. Unfortunately, the strandnjak was not among the prizes, but it was quite fun and interesting.
Final thoughts and impressions
The editorial staff of the portal enjoyed the tournament. Although the tournament ended yesterday, we can’t wait for next year and the next tournament. Our day went by so quickly, that we were shocked when the conference announced the last game. Which just means that we had fun, that we enjoyed the rugby, and that we go home with positive impressions.
We think that this is an ideal tournament, where you can gather the team before the start of preparations and have a good time and relax. If they were talking in corporate terms, they’d say rugby team building, but we don’t want to lose favor with the presenters, so we’ll settle down and not talk about corporations. He should come next year as well, and Choma can’t miss anything.
Rugby, socializing, positive atmosphere, good time, rich ambience and a program that lasts all day. A day well spent.
