A large outflow of players and fewer clubs in the competition
There was a noticeable drop in the number of players in the U16s competition last spring. All teams except RK Rad had personnel problems during the entire half-season. The competition was reverted back to tournament play, and the number of players on the field was reduced from 12 to 10. Even so, it was quite tense regarding the number of players on the field. Why we have a smaller number in the U16s competition is not a new problem, it is an old problem, where the number of U14s is not capitalized.
To remind you, exactly one year ago, we had 6 clubs in the competition. A league was played, where 60-minute matches were played, with 12 players on the field. They played in a single round, according to the one-on-one system. Each team had 5 guaranteed games. The two first-placed teams met in the grand final, where the winner of the Serbian Cup was decided. The players had the opportunity to play whole games and thus gained an enviable experience. We had a situation where Dinamo and Rad were very equal teams, where they fought a big fight until the very end of the competition. Borac from Starčevo was very close to the leading teams, while Zvezda, Kruševac and Vršac were tied. Out of 16 games, 14 were played, that is, two games were registered with an official result.
What did we get from this system? The strong competition where the games were played brought great experience to the young players, who showed their class in their opening games in the senior competition. Likewise, the young people performed excellently in the national team jersey, where they recorded two victories during their camp in Zagreb, as well as in the test match against Bulgaria in Petrovac na Mlavi. The players were motivated to fight and had excellent competition where they could progress and gain experience.
Last spring, we did not have GRK Vršac and BRK Crvena Zvezda in the competition, but RK Čelik also took part in the U16s competition. In total, 5 teams recorded performances in the U16s, namely: RK Rad, RK Borac Starčevo, RK Kruševac, RK Dinamo 1954 and RK Čelik. Three teams participated in two tournaments, and four in two tournaments.
The difference in the level of play
In four tournaments, RK Rad was perfect. They recorded all convincing victories. The most close game was played by the Građevinari against Borac, which they won with a score of 24-5. In essence, this data shows how big the differences were in the result. But that’s not all, there was a big difference between Borac and Kruševac. While Dinamo and Čelik were there somewhere with Starčevci. Kruševac had the youngest team, so they couldn’t even hope for better results.
The quality and ambience of the pitches
Unlike the U12s and U14s, the U16s had the opportunity to play on much better fields and in much better conditions. The pitch for U16s requires marking, as it is played on slightly shorter dimensions (80 meters long, 50 meters wide). We would like it if in the autumn part of the half-season they would have properly marked pitches, with all the flags. Adequately marked field helps all participants of the match to have a visual representation, for the sake of the best application of the game system and the game in general. We know it sounds strange to appeal for proper marking of terrain, because it should be taken for granted. But it is not like that in practice, one tournament even took place on a court that was marked with cones, which is unacceptable.
Screening of the competition in the fall
Since September, the age groups have been mixed in the U16s competition. Players born in 2006 and 2007. are the U16s age group. Also, players who were born in 2008 have the right to play for U16s, with the special permission of the parents. As for the number itself, there should be a much larger mass in the competition. But you have to be absolutely careful, how to create a competition system. We did our best to make a small analysis by clubs, so that the numerical situation would look like in the fall.
RK Rad
There is no problem for the Građevinari who will definitely have the largest number of players in this age category. Clear favorites in the competition, where they are expected to improve in quality this year as well. A team that has a complex game plan in the U16s competition. They do not stop training during the summer, so they diligently prepare for the autumn competition. They also plan to play test matches with foreign teams.
RK Borac Starčevo
Starčevci are not far behind in terms of quality compared to Rad. But the number is definitely one of the problems. There will be a problem this year too, even for rugby 10s. A team that is very experienced and with many games in their legs. Although they are still U16s players, Borac can be extremely competitive in senior rugby as well, which we hope to see soon. Starčevci definitely have a problem with the age gap, where they almost don’t have a player who belongs to the U14s, who could jump in and help the U16s in the competition.
RK Kruševac
We expect a better season from the people of Kruševac than the last one. They are more experienced, they are stronger, they are older, so we will not be surprised if they manage to get close to the leading teams. The quality is definitely there, it is up to the young people from Kruševac to prove themselves on the field. If we didn’t think so, we wouldn’t even be writing this.
RK Dinamo 1954
Pančevci have several players in the cadet age, but the core should be made up of their U14s who were in 2008. YOB. We believe that he will have no problems in making the team. We would like to see a strong Dinamo in the U16s again. Definitely a team that could be involved in medal contention.
If RK Čelik joins us in the competition from the next half-season, we will have 5 teams in the U16s competition. BRK Crvena Zvezda and RK Dorćol are teams that have the potential to form U16s teams.
We would love the most if the matches were played again, however, it is an impossible mission, because simply no one except RK Rad has a sufficient number of players to withstand the competition. But we would not give up playing games so easily. We propose to make two games that would be played in the format of either rugby 15 or rugby 12, where on one side there would be RK Rad and on the other side a combined team made up of players from BRK Crvena Zvezda, RK Dinamo 1954, RK Borac from Starčevo and RK Dorćol 1998. A two-match series that would give players the opportunity to play a competitive game in Rugby 15s or Rugby 12s. Call those matches what you want, the championship of Belgrade, Vojvodina or Serbia. They would get two very high quality and strong games, with minimal cost. In parallel with this, to continue the practice of playing tournaments, with the fact that the number of tournaments would be reduced to three.
Increasing numbers is a priority
There is not a lot of wisdom here, every club has to prioritize increasing the player base. Maybe someone will say that it is too late to bring 16-year-olds to rugby. Of course we are of the opinion that they are wrong. When new players are brought into an already formed team, they will fit in more easily because they already have the help of more experienced teammates. It is an opportunity that all clubs should seize. You need to think seriously and make a plan over the summer, in order to implement it in the fall half-season.
With us, there has always been a problem in maintaining continuity among U16s. Children at that age start high school, their work routine changes. Their obligations are increasing, they want to spend their free time in a different way. There are various reasons why they decide to stop training practise. This is not the case only in rugby, but in all sports. That transition point when entering high school is critical. What can be done? Well, simply, you need to be persistent and organize presentations in schools as well as possible. Maybe some former athletes really like rugby. We still remember how Aleksandar Nedeljković formed the U18s and U16s teams in BRK Crvena Zvezda only through school presentations
Why is that important? The biggest difference in coaching is made in the U16s. A large number of players in training means better quality training practice. The best thing for any club in Serbia is when it has 20 U16s in its facility who would fit in with a quality coach. If we managed to develop it in 5 clubs, we would have 100 players at that age who would work with quality coaches. What kind of material would it be for the Serbian U18s national team, if all those players were fit.
Education of U16s coaches
The most challenging thing for professionals in Union. There is a great need for the education of coaches who deal with the older categories in youth rugby. Serious rugby is being played, and coaches must improve if we want to raise the level of the game. We suggest holding workshops, holding learnin camps, professional internships. If we were to go from club to club, let’s see how the coaches work with the players in positioning in the scrum, what is the position of the legs, back, neck, hands of the players in the scrum. We think the results would be alarming.
Our proposal is that the Coaching Organization organize professional practices or workshops, where the education of our coaches would be carried out. Where the elements and sequences in the game would be worked on. For example, positioning in the scrum, backs positioning, attack from the lineout, defending in the opponent’s lineout, organized defense, quick ruck, attack from the tactical kick, use of space in open play, etc. An opportunity that should not be missed.
International test matches
We absolutely insist on this proposal. Don’t limit your club activities just to official competitions. It is highly recommended that you organize a test match with a club from the region. Arrange for them to visit you in return. In this way, players gain much-needed international experience, plus a positive atmosphere is always built on trips. You can schedule participation in one of the major international tournaments in Italy, the Czech Republic or Poland. The more experience and work, the greater the progress.
Individual training practice
Players who are in U16s should start training individually under the supervision of coaches and experts. They need to put together a plan and program of individual preparations in the pre-season, so that they can meet the start of the preparations physically ready. Why is that important? Imagine that at the end of the season in June, you delivered an individual preparation plan to all players. And now imagine that 20 players in the U16s competition did maximum preparations. And now imagine that, for example, you start training at the beginning of August, where you already have a physically ready team, and you can dedicate yourself to rugby training. This is the system of professional teams, they delegate conditioning coaches to prepare players individually. He will certainly not take the team to Zlatibor for two months, where the players will pour out their souls during collective training sessions. It is a waste of time, resources and can lead to a deterioration of the atmosphere in the team.
