Rugby club Nada – Split was founded February 23rd, 1959 and in the past 53 years the club has constantly evolved and became the most successful rugby club in Croatia and one of the best and most respected amateur rugby clubs in Europe. The club now has over 800 members, of whom about 350 are actively involved in the game itself. Club has players from the age of 5 to 70 years, recently including the women’s team. Representative trophy hall of the club boasts over 130 trophies and medals for the results of the official national and international competitions.

Highlights:
– 2000, 2001 – Central European Champions Cup – 1st place
– 2005 – European Clubs Championship – 3rd place
– 2006 – European Clubs Championship – 2nd place
– 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 – RRC Regional Rugby Championship – 1st place
– Senior National champions – 27 times, of which nine consecutive titles from 2003 to 2011

RK Nada is the winner of extremely rare and prestigious international and national awards such as: international “Pierre de Coubertin” fair play award, fair play award of Sportske Novosti, City of Split Award and Gold Medal of the City of Split. For senior team’s outstanding results Rugby club Nada was three times officially declared as “the best sports team of the City of Split” for years 2008, 2009 and 2011.

Players of RK Nada participate in all Croatian National rugby teams and it is likely to say that the results of those teams greatly depend on the effect of the best players of RK Nada. For the senior National team, since RK Nada establishment until today, a total of over 120 RK Nada players have performed.

In this season RK Nada reached the semi final stage of Croatian National Championship and the semi final stage of RRC regional competition. During current and previous RRC seasons RK Nada won all of 19 scheduled matches and has strong ambitions to win this year’s remaining two matches and become RRC Champion for the fifth consecutive time. In the Croatian National competitions, last defeat of RK Nada senior team in official match is recorded back in 2003.

Besides the trophies won, as one of the greatest successes in RK Nada is considered lowering the age to which children begin to practice rugby in Split. In the past few years this limit is shifted form age of 10-12 to age of 5-6. At the moment in RK Nada there is continuity in training and competing for 8 age-graded categories and in the club work 8 expert trainers, both as professionals or volunteers. For club’s results, professional work and activities RK Nada has become synonymous for dedicated sport work in the entire sports community. RK Nada is one of the leading sport brands of Split and it is recognized in wide European rugby community. The members of RK Nada are involved in CRFU, FIRA-AER and EVRA with responsible positions.

Since 1979 to present time RK Nada uses for matches and training the playground in the centre of Split locally known as the “Stari plac” – cult venue for Split sport over more than century. Stadium has a stand with 924 seats and a total capacity of 3,000 spectators. On that pitch RK Nada hosted many Croatian National team matches for the FIRA-AER European Nations Cup and FIRA-AER 7’s European Championship.
Rugby ’59 – veteran rugby club from Split hosted the 2002 European Veterans Festival.

New (but not young) star on the top

Quarterfinal matches are over and scorers took advantage of the opportunity to make some impact on RRC Top Scorers list.
New leading scorer with 42 match points is Vlado Ursić – experienced player of RK Nada Split. Twelve tries scored by RK Nada players in quarterfinal match against RK Ljubljana gave him opportunity to score lot of points from conversion kicks. With one try and one penalty kick he rounded number of scored points in that match to 20.
Luka Jureško, newly appointed skipper of RK Zagreb, added 3 tries to his record, and now holds second place with 40 match points. He is also leading RRC try scorer at the moment with eight tries scored so far.
Just three points from leader, on the third place, is Maximilian Navas from RC Donau Wien. “Never nervous Max”, as often called in his club, has securely landed one conversion and four penalty kicks this weekend in Esztergom and thus has secured win for his club and opportunity to challenge RRC Champions in Split next weekend.
Another two “try scorers”, Tonči Buzov from RK Nada Split and Milan Orlović from RK Pobednik Mozzart Beograd, are holding fourth place with 6 tries (30 match points) each. Filip Mijić from RK Zagreb with 27 match points at seventh place concludes list of players in top ten that are still competing. Because KARC (Beke and Nagyhegyesi) and Vitezek (Collet) are out of this year’s RRC competition, and last year’s RRC Top scorer Ivica Rubelj from RK Nada is injured (wishing him all the best!) rest of the top ten scorers are not in position to fight for this year’s title of RRC Top Scorer.

The official top scorers list is available here or in Match center at Top Scorers section.

The Austrian Rugby figurehead was founded in 1989. Since 2003 Donau won consecutive titles in the ‘Staatsmeisterschaft’ – the Austrian Rugby State Championship. The Viennese club also provides the majority of the national team squad. Due to the lack of native competition, Donau expended in 2008 and started an international project. The Austrian champs joined the CEE-Cup. In the beginning the club was taught a lesson and always ended up with the Wooden Spoon trophy. In 2011 Donau shocked the rugby world by achieving a spot in the „small final“. The Austrians had a cracker of a game with Hungarian rivals Vitezek and only lost by two points. Since that battle in April 2011, Donau did not lose a single game, neither national nor international.

Players to watch:

Maximilian Navas sure is one of the most important players manager Stiig Gabriel can choose from. Gifted with speed and agility, the young winger already scored some thrilling tries. But his weapon of choice is the boot. „Never nervous Max“ always keeps his calm and slots over penalty after penalty. Soon he became Donau´s top scorer.
‘Captain Fantastic’ – Yvan Wever is a leader on and off the pitch. The South African born fullback/fly half joined the club a couple of years ago and since then Donau is making huge progress. His quick feet and his overview of the rugby pitch makes him Donau´s most exciting attacker.
Andreas Gaul: This name stands for hard work and sheer muscle. ‘The Austrian Powerhorse’ is the most capped player for the national side and used to captain it too. Nowadays he puts his focus on his own game again and is leading his young forward pack from top. His scrummage abilities and his fearless tackles are well known all around austrian rugby pitches.

As the quarter-final match between RC Pobednik MOZZART and Battai Bulldogok RC is approaching, and we already presented Hungarian club (Introducing gas.hu Battai Bulldogok RC), there are some facts about Serbian champion.
RC Pobednik MOZZART was founded in 1996 and from the beginning the bright future of the club could be seen. The first Serbian National Championship title was won in the season 1999/2000, than again in season 2001/02, and since 2006, Pobednik holds the crown firmly in their hands. Pobednik also won two Serbian National Cups, and last but not least, Pobednik were three times vice-champions of the RRC competition.
In the youth categories Pobednik is the most successful club in the country in last few years. Their players and coaches are an indispensable part of their National Teams in U18 and as well in senior squads, in XVs and as well in Sevens competitions. In last year FIRA-AER competitions Serbian National rugby teams had great success, they improved their standings in U18 (from group C to group B of Justin Bridou European Championship) and in Sevens (from group B to group A of FIRA-AER European Championship).
In their own words, their team is a mixture of youth and experience with greatest strength in unity, fighting spirit and unbreakable team spirit. From number one to twenty two, each of their players are always motivated and eager to play in the way that RC Pobednik MOZZART is known about.
Long story short, people from RC Pobednik MOZZART are inviting all to come to Belgrade on 18th of March and to enjoy, hopefully, a rugby spectacle!

Spring part of the 2011/2012 RRC season starts next Saturday on March 10th. After three months of winter break, competition will continue with the RRC play-offs. Eight clubs that have merited their place in RRC quarterfinal matches are: RK Nada Split, RK Pobednik Mozzart Beograd, RK Zagreb, Esztergomi Vitézek Suzuki RSE, RC Donau Wien, RK Čelik Zenica, Battai Bulldogok RC and RK Ljubljana.
Due to the early commitment of Slovenian National Team in FIRA-AER ENC match vs. Switzerland on March 17th, first two clubs who will play RRC quarterfinal match are RK Nada Split and RK Ljubljana – Croatian and Slovenian champions. The match is scheduled for March 10th in Split. Both teams are composed of high quality and talented players eager to prove to the international scene, so we can expect an attractive and high-quality match.
On March 17th next two matches are scheduled: Esztergomi Vitézek Suzuki RSE will host RC Donau Wien in Esztergom and RK Pobednik Mozzart Beograd awaits Battai Buldoggok RC in Belgrade.
In Esztergom we are expecting the clash of two teams very equal in quality and both not hiding their ambitions to join the highest standing teams. RC Donau Wien, Austrian champion, presented themselves in their first RRC season as a solid opponent who can offer good and solid play both in Vienna and away.
The best Serbian club RK Pobednik Mozzart will welcome the second, but not weaker, Hungarian representative – the team of Battai Bulldogok RC. The Belgrade team has home ground advantage and more experience in RRC where they have finished three times as runners-up, but they can’t expect easy task. Hungarians have produced fairly portion of trouble to four time RRC champion Nada when they played in Split last autumn during Pool Phase, and motivation and stakes are much higher in this play-off match.
The fourth 2012 RRC quarterfinal match on March 18th in Zagreb will play RK Zagreb and RK Čelik Zenica. Both teams have significantly improved their game, now matching the quality of best RRC teams. There will be recognizable Zagreb “rational game” on one side, and fanaticism and fighting spirit of rugby players from Zenica, both eager to prove their return on the path to success.