Serbian Rugby League ends year on a high

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Vlasnik

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There is much to celebrate in Serbian rugby league circles as 2014 comes to an end.

Top of European Championship B table at the halfway stage - including a memorable win at home to Italy - they were the biggest movers in the World Rankings released last week, going up four places to 13th, which should put them in good stead for the 2017 World Cup qualifiers, the finals in Australian and New Zealand featuring 14 teams.

According to SRL president Predrag Pantic, “This is the year in which the Serbian Rugby League Federation had a great domestic development. Nearly 100 matches were played from seniors to U14.

“Red Star’s win over Dorcol is a new chapter in Serbian Rugby League history, and we all hope that domestic development will continue in 2015.”

Red star’s dramatic 36-26 away triumph in the Grand Final ended 12 seasons of dominance by Dorcol, one of the longest continued runs of success in rugby league history.

Two-try and two-goal Vojislav Dedić, the Red Star stand-off was the star. “The season was very long and hard, especially after the summer break”, he said.

“It was important to us to be the best when it counts. Dorćol was as tough as ever but I think we were hungrier for success. Even when they took the lead, we never gave up and it paid off.

“The feeling is amazing and I would like to congratulate and thank to all my teammates, staff and supporters”.

His opposite number Dalibor Vukanović also claimed 12 points but, for once, it was not enough.

“We were not at the level we usually are defensively and Red Star utilized that in the opening and closing minutes of the game”, he noted.

“We made some bad decisions during our dominating period so we couldn’t build a lead big enough for a comfortable finish. At the end, both teams had chances to win, this time Red Star used their one and I congratulate them.

“It is up to us now to regroup over the off-season and to do our best to win back the title next year”.

Red Star’s red-and-whites shocked the hosts by racing to 10-0 lead after only eight minutes with tries from Nikola Djurić and Dragan Vasiljević.

Dorćol responded with winger Milan Avramović’s touchdown and a goal by captain Vukanović, but Red Star extended their lead with a Petar Milanović score and Vojislav Dedić’s second conversion.

Three minutes before half time, centre Stevan Stevanović crossed for the home team and Vukanović landed another goal to make it 12-16 at the break.

Dorćol took control in the opening minutes of the second half with Stefan Nedeljković equalizer and Vukanović’s first try, Dedić responding to make it 20-all.

In the 66th minute, Vukanović posted a superb solo effort between the posts, Nedeljković adding the extras to put Dorćol back in front.

Red Star’s international duo Dedić and Miloš Zogović with the goal levelled the score again just three minutes later, with the latter completing the comeback in the next set with a fine try.

Red Star had to pull off a try-saving tackle in the corner to force a knock-on and avoid extra-time and, in the dying minutes, they made sure of only their second-ever win over Dorćol thanks to a second try by the man of the match Vasiljević, Zogović completing the scoring with his second goal.

The match, streamed live, had the SRL’s highest-ever viewing figures.

Also, Radnički Nova Pazova defeated Tašmajdan Tigers 38-30 in the play-off final and returned to the first division after only one season out.


DORĆOL: 26
Andrej Mora, Stefan Vukanović, Marko Ćuk, Aleksa Radić, Milan Avramović, Dimitris Dajč, Mirko Božović, Stefan Nedeljković, Dalibor Vukanović, Miloš Aleksić, Stevan Stevanović, Ivan Tulić, Milan Čobanović. Subs: Sergej Devetak, Lazar Mićić, Rade Spajić, Nikola Vlahović.

Tries: Milan Avramović (11’), Stevan Stevanović (37’), Stefan Nedeljković (42’), Dalibor Vukanović (48’, 66’)
Goals: Dalibor Vukanović 2/3, Stefan Nedeljković 1/2

RED STAR: 36
Miloš Zogović, Nikola Djurić, Petar Milanović, Dragan Vasiljević, Aleksandar Radovanović, Mark Pullen, Vojislav Dedić, Nikola Vulić, Vladislav Dedić, Slobodan Manak, Miodrag Tomić, Miloš Kostadinović, Velibor Srećković. Subs: Vuk Štrbac, Nenad Žujić, Denis Čengaj, Nikola Milovanović.

Tries: Nikola Djurić (3’), Dragan Vasiljević (8’, 79’), Petar Milanović (15’), Vojislav Dedić (56’, 69’), Miloš Zogović (72’)
Goals: Vojislav Dedić 2/4, Miloš Zogović 2/3
 

Vlasnik

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Ranked 13th in the world out of 64 countries!!! Not bad :grinning: It's great to see the Balkans or in this case Serbs embrace the game of Rugby League.
 

blueyedsamurai

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This is where League should be getting promoted. The NRL seem to keep trying to promote it to countries that will never embrace it
 

CroydonDog

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Ranked 13th in the world out of 64 countries!!! Not bad :grinning: It's great to see the Balkans or in this case Serbs embrace the game of Rugby League.
There must be some pretty ordinary teams on that list though...

But the Balkans definately sounds like it has potential as a growth area. Italy aren't exactly a rugby league powerhouse, but they do play Rugby Union in 6 nations, and ranked about 10th in the world in that, so that's a good showing.

Eventually, we may see a decent European Cup going with sides like Wales, France, Italy, Lebanon, Serbia etc

Edit: Here is the list http://www.rlif.com/rankings
 

Vlasnik

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This is where League should be getting promoted. The NRL seem to keep trying to promote it to countries that will never embrace it
I agree!!! Eastern Europe would be and is a gold mine for Rugby League. It also gives me another reason to follow Red Star Belgrade :grinning:
 

Vlasnik

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There must be some pretty ordinary teams on that list though...

But the Balkans definately sounds like it has potential as a growth area. Italy aren't exactly a rugby league powerhouse, but they do play Rugby Union in 6 nations, and ranked about 10th in the world in that, so that's a good showing.

Eventually, we may see a decent European Cup going with sides like Wales, France, Italy, Lebanon, Serbia etc

Edit: Here is the list http://www.rlif.com/rankings
Well we have leaped over Canada, Russia and Tonga :grinning: Excellent stuff!!!
 

OITENTA-E-NOVE

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are league rankings just based on playing games? tonga should be higher
 

Vlasnik

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are league rankings just based on playing games? tonga should be higher
The Official Rugby League International Federation (RLIF) World Rankings are calculated on each nation’s performance over the current season and the four preceding seasons. Points are awarded to each team for each match based on:

The result of the match i.e. win, lose or draw
The margin of victory (or defeat)
The relative strength of opposition faced
The date of the match – more recent matches are weighted more heavily
The importance of the match e.g. a World Cup match is given greater weighting than a standalone international.
The points are then used to create the Official World Rankings by ordering the teams by virtue of the points gained over the five season period.
Only matches played at senior level between two approved members are considered as part of the rankings.

The World Rankings are automatically updated on the first day of every month. If that falls in the middle of an international series, the update will occur immediately following the series.
 

south of heaven

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Great read love hearing about other countries and league
 

1991

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This is where League should be getting promoted. The NRL seem to keep trying to promote it to countries that will never embrace it

First the NRL doesn't promote the development of the game internationally and now they do but in the wrong parts of the world?

Interested in hearing your qualifications to make such a remark.
 

Özil

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Credit to the serbs, I've been following them on fb and the game there is growing at a great rate.
 

rainman

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The team lists read like a couple of NSL teams
 

rainman

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Imagine when there is an all in brawl. How do you say cattle dog in Serbian
 

Sandra's Bollocks

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Imagine when there is an all in brawl. How do you say cattle dog in Serbian
it would be a literal translation and wouldnt make any sense. youre better off saying ubiga (kill him). it has the same connotations ;)
 
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