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.
