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Just finished a tour of Australia, emerging nation lots of potential over 2,000 registered players but the games gaining more momentum, exciting times if they make the world cup will be a massive boost to the sport in Serbia.

 

Just lost a test to the Philippines ( who had a lot of Aussie born players with NRL experience ) 18-12 having a try disallowed in the last few moments of the game. 

 

Play Wales in Wales in October then Italy at home in there last two WC qualifying games. 

 

if anyone wants to know more there are available links and more news regarding Serbian rugby league. 

 

This is my 1st post by the way im a Wests Tigers and Huddersfield Giants fan living in Melbourne Australia. 

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Welcome. I'm also a Wests Tigers fan - inherited from the old Magpies. Yes most people on here - well certainly on the International section - are aware of the growth and potential of Serbia. One thing in RL's favour is that, although soccer is their biggest sport, their "glory" days were over 50 years ago. Even making it into a RLWC should give them a bit of local press.

 

RL could also point out that Serbia is currently ranked 11th in RL but only 51st by FIFA (even worse, that's 33 rungs below Croatia!)

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Welcome. I'm also a Wests Tigers fan - inherited from the old Magpies. Yes most people on here - well certainly on the International section - are aware of the growth and potential of Serbia. One thing in RL's favour is that, although soccer is their biggest sport, their "glory" days were over 50 years ago. Even making it into a RLWC should give them a bit of local press.

 

Not quite that long. Red Star Belgrade (who of course have a RL section) won the European Cup in 1991 and were effectively world champions the same year after winning the inter-continental cup, the only East European team to do that. There have been some fairly serious crowd problems in their international football games with Albania etc. and they've had to play some games behind closed doors.

 

Their national team in Basketball is pretty strong, too.

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Just finished a tour of Australia, emerging nation lots of potential over 2,000 registered players but the games gaining more momentum, exciting times if they make the world cup will be a massive boost to the sport in Serbia.

 

Just lost a test to the Philippines ( who had a lot of Aussie born players with NRL experience ) 18-12 having a try disallowed in the last few moments of the game. 

 

Play Wales in Wales in October then Italy at home in there last two WC qualifying games. 

 

if anyone wants to know more there are available links and more news regarding Serbian rugby league. 

 

This is my 1st post by the way im a Wests Tigers and Huddersfield Giants fan living in Melbourne Australia. 

They stream a few live matches during their domestic season too. One camera, no commentary, but even so, enjoyable.

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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FUTTOCKS yeah they stream games i agree its quite enjoyable.

 

Farmduck people want more options then football and basketball ( waterpolo and volleyball also popular tennis also ) i believe the general build of most Serbian men is suited to Rugby League it truly is a sport that could thrive in this country and that makes me happy for our game. The press give it a bit of coverage at the moment, from what i'm told i have a English friend who lives there and is involved in Serbian RL he says it could well become the 3rd biggest sport in the country in 10 years a lot more work needs to be done but the potential is so exciting.  

 

Really do hope they make the world cup my heart says yes head says no i believe they will make it in 2021 will be exactly 20 years then the games has re started ( 2001 Serbian Rl resumed work ) Such a honour for Serbia to play Wales will get big coverage when it happens in Serbian papers hope they give Wales a run for there money.

 

I'm new to this forum so i'l enjoy speaking to all of you on many future topics regarding RL.

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Really do hope they make the world cup my heart says yes head says no i believe they will make it in 2021 will be exactly 20 years then the games has re started ( 2001 Serbian Rl resumed work ) Such a honour for Serbia to play Wales will get big coverage when it happens in Serbian papers hope they give Wales a run for there money.

I intend to go to the Wales match, and will likely see Serbia in the RLWCQ playoff match in Leigh

Check out upcoming international fixtures and highlights of past matches at http://rlfixtures.weebly.com

 

St Albans Centurions International Liaison Officer and former Medway Dragons Wheelchair RL player.

Leeds Rhinos, St Albans Centurions y Griffons Madrid fan. Also follow (to a lesser extent) Catalans Dragons, London Broncos, South Sydney Rabbitohs, Jacksonville Axemen, Vrchlabi Mad Squirrels, København Black Swans, Red Star Belgrade and North Hertfordshire Crusaders.

Moderator of the International board

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Having some contacts in the Serbian RL i am wondering how many RL enthusiast would be open to buying a yearly membership would i assume cost around 20 Australian Dollars to help the Serbian RL federation out? Would be really keen to see how many lads off this site would be keen. 

 

the idea is been mooted by the Serbian federation at the moment it would go towards helping club sides out and even helping the national team out. I'm the one that has personally ran this idea past a few friends at the Serbian Fed and believe even if we got around 200 members in a country so economically poor that would go a long way into ESSENTIAL things such as advertising Rugby League through newspapers, on TV so they can attract and win more hearts especially with the children. 

 

Please get back to me maybe even moderators who could run this idea more openly on this site.

 

Personally i am not rich guys but 20 dollars a year could always come out of the piggy bank etc assume that is about 8 pounds a year.  

 

Some of the guys running the Serbian fed are extremely decent people and am sure would use the money from memberships to full use. 

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They really are still a fledgling nation, and need support from the RL community.  They have got themselves well organised, on what looks like virtually zero budget.  Their league games are streamed via the internet, and the big football clubs (Red Star, Partizan etc are involved via their 'omnisport' sections).

 

I have posted on the cross code forum before, that I coach union at international level (Tier 3 nations). My team plays against Serbia annually at the moment, and we traveled to Belgrade last year to play them.  Their union team was shambolic, but this has now been fixed (new coach, much less politics in the federation now).

 

A couple of the guys involved with the union are also RL fans, but one of them told me that his previous union club had switched to RL, and that is how he became interested.  There was a big English guy over there helping them out for a bit.  (Kevin Reith or something?)

 

I talked to a good few young guys playing union in their national team, and made some enquiries about Rugby League.  They told me that the Rugby League federation were giving their players t-shirts, boots etc, whereas union did not, and that made a difference.  I was conscious of this, as the union IRB can easily come in and resource the union federation enabling them to kit out players etc.

 

The win over Italy was massive for them, as Italy had been in the World Cup.  Obviously it was a totally different Italian team, but the result gave the Serbs a lot of credibility in their own country.  Everyone I talked to mentioned that result.

 

Basically what I am saying is - union there is struggling.  RL has a little momentum, but needs help, as some of their clubs have switched from union and they are running the thing on a shoestring budget.  Any sponsors etc who could help them out would be very welcome I am sure.

 

One experience I got from the union games that will undoubtedly tanslate to other sports is that the Serbs gave EVERYTHING on the pitch.  They came off utterly exhausted.  We beat them, but their coach told me that after the game, he could not even talk to his players, as they were so drained.  He said a number of them are ex soldiers, and for them, playing for their country was everything.

Rugby League: Alive and Handling

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I saw the Armed Forces team play a couple of times in the 2013 FOWC (and have a shirt of theirs that I regularly wear), as the St Albans physio often does the Serbia matches too. I believe there are (or were) a couple of Serbian junior teams running around in St Albans Centurions shirts too!

 

They got beat in every match in the FOWC, sometimes heavily, but you could see how proud and determined they were from start to finish, and I was very disappointed that their try against GB was disallowed (as was the GB coach), but they did get a try in their final game

Check out upcoming international fixtures and highlights of past matches at http://rlfixtures.weebly.com

 

St Albans Centurions International Liaison Officer and former Medway Dragons Wheelchair RL player.

Leeds Rhinos, St Albans Centurions y Griffons Madrid fan. Also follow (to a lesser extent) Catalans Dragons, London Broncos, South Sydney Rabbitohs, Jacksonville Axemen, Vrchlabi Mad Squirrels, København Black Swans, Red Star Belgrade and North Hertfordshire Crusaders.

Moderator of the International board

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brooza i am living for that match at the moment, i know its a while away but it would be great if you can offer live updates on this site from the match. 

I'll not be able to do live updates on here, but if I'm there there will be updates either on my twitter (@brooza664) or on my website (in my signature)

Check out upcoming international fixtures and highlights of past matches at http://rlfixtures.weebly.com

 

St Albans Centurions International Liaison Officer and former Medway Dragons Wheelchair RL player.

Leeds Rhinos, St Albans Centurions y Griffons Madrid fan. Also follow (to a lesser extent) Catalans Dragons, London Broncos, South Sydney Rabbitohs, Jacksonville Axemen, Vrchlabi Mad Squirrels, København Black Swans, Red Star Belgrade and North Hertfordshire Crusaders.

Moderator of the International board

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  • 2 weeks later...

FUTTOCKS yeah they stream games i agree its quite enjoyable.

 

Farmduck people want more options then football and basketball ( waterpolo and volleyball also popular tennis also ) i believe the general build of most Serbian men is suited to Rugby League it truly is a sport that could thrive in this country and that makes me happy for our game. The press give it a bit of coverage at the moment, from what i'm told i have a English friend who lives there and is involved in Serbian RL he says it could well become the 3rd biggest sport in the country in 10 years a lot more work needs to be done but the potential is so exciting.  

 

Really do hope they make the world cup my heart says yes head says no i believe they will make it in 2021 will be exactly 20 years then the games has re started ( 2001 Serbian Rl resumed work ) Such a honour for Serbia to play Wales will get big coverage when it happens in Serbian papers hope they give Wales a run for there money.

 

I'm new to this forum so i'l enjoy speaking to all of you on many future topics regarding RL.

I live in neighbouring Montenegro and can confirm the physical and mental make up of the Serbs is built for RL, athletic, strong and very skillfull

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Having some contacts in the Serbian RL i am wondering how many RL enthusiast would be open to buying a yearly membership would i assume cost around 20 Australian Dollars to help the Serbian RL federation out? Would be really keen to see how many lads off this site would be keen. 

 

the idea is been mooted by the Serbian federation at the moment it would go towards helping club sides out and even helping the national team out. I'm the one that has personally ran this idea past a few friends at the Serbian Fed and believe even if we got around 200 members in a country so economically poor that would go a long way into ESSENTIAL things such as advertising Rugby League through newspapers, on TV so they can attract and win more hearts especially with the children. 

 

Please get back to me maybe even moderators who could run this idea more openly on this site.

 

Personally i am not rich guys but 20 dollars a year could always come out of the piggy bank etc assume that is about 8 pounds a year.  

 

Some of the guys running the Serbian fed are extremely decent people and am sure would use the money from memberships to full use.

I for one would certainly do that
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footage up on youtube of serbia v philipines game in sydney. historical footage serbian fed should be proud of themselves created history played well did themselves proud, strong performance againdt many aussie lads playing for philipines. ple as e view the footage and tell us your thoughts of the game.

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footage up on youtube of serbia v philipines game in sydney. historical footage serbian fed should be proud of themselves created history played well did themselves proud, strong performance againdt many aussie lads playing for philipines. ple as e view the footage and tell us your thoughts of the game.

I've posted the link to the footage on the main forum.

rldfsignature.jpg

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FUTTOCKS yeah they stream games i agree its quite enjoyable.

Farmduck people want more options then football and basketball ( waterpolo and volleyball also popular tennis also ) i believe the general build of most Serbian men is suited to Rugby League it truly is a sport that could thrive in this country and that makes me happy for our game. The press give it a bit of coverage at the moment, from what i'm told i have a English friend who lives there and is involved in Serbian RL he says it could well become the 3rd biggest sport in the country in 10 years a lot more work needs to be done but the potential is so exciting.

Really do hope they make the world cup my heart says yes head says no i believe they will make it in 2021 will be exactly 20 years then the games has re started ( 2001 Serbian Rl resumed work ) Such a honour for Serbia to play Wales will get big coverage when it happens in Serbian papers hope they give Wales a run for there money.

I'm new to this forum so i'l enjoy speaking to all of you on many future topics regarding RL.

3rd biggest sport in 10 years? It wouldnt be in top 10 now, so good luck getting into top 3. Basically, football and basketball are locked in one and two for eternity. Then you have Volleyball, waterpolo, tennis, handball, Am football, motorsports,, etc.

To illustrate the challenges ahead in terms of translating on field success to coverage, go to this site.

http://www.sportske.net/

There are 15-20 sports with their own section. Not one code of rugby is included.

I think some like to believe that a successful Serbia would become a big deal in that country. Im not convinced in the slightest.

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http://www.rlef.eu.com/news/article/1213/red-star-win-serbian-super

 

A fantastic effort by Red Star. I can't recall Dorcol ever being on the end of such a hiding in a domestic game before.

What a result to nil the established powerhouses, and in a final too!

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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  • 2 weeks later...

For RL to become the third biggest sport I think is really pushing it. Football is the obvious number 1, and then you have handball and water polo, which not only are Serbia very good at, but you've also got strong Croatia and Montenegro teams to fuel the regional rivalry.

To give you some idea of the popularity, Serbia played Montenegro in the water polo European Championship final in front of 18,500 people in Belgrade.

 

 

Basketball is up there as well, although I think this is mostly due to the Partizan/Red Star rivalry than the strength of the domestic league as a whole.

 

One option RL should definitely look at is trying to bring in an established star from another sport to highlight the game - Serbia recently hosted the Futsal European Championship and their federation somehow managed to rope in Novak Djokovic to do promo events. Their reward was a sold-out arena (I think 10-11000 capacity) whenever the Serbs were playing.

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