127:
211:
meant that rugby was a low priority. However, it ironically had something of a minor revival in
Croatia, when occupying British troops started to play regular games against the locals in the 1990s. By that point there were a thousand registered players in the country, and fourteen clubs, and some
1780:
1169:
188:
Some people date the start of
Croatian rugby to 17 January 1954 when the Mladost team from Zagreb was formed to become Croatia's first rugby union club. Some years later, a XV from
1016:
318:
Croatia have a host of players who are New
Zealanders, Australians and South Africans of Croatian origin who play the game and have played internationally for these countries.
1141:
1146:
344:, he has a Croatian heritage but lives in New Zealand. He has coached the North Harbour Rugby team and has been associated with many other Rugby teams in New Zealand.
1126:
216:
1275:
174:
Rugby union in pre-independence
Croatia was a moderately popular sport, but due to its recent international successes, it is gaining more recognition.
1227:
341:
244:
1687:
823:
668:
282:
1330:
1205:
166:) was founded in 1962 (as a domestic body), became a full national body in 1992 (after independence) and joined the IRB in 1994.
199:, which ran from 1957-1991. Croatia was something of a centre of rugby union in Yugoslavia before it gained its independence.
1315:
881:
1220:
816:
1727:
308:
240:
115:
1406:
1360:
1091:
901:
646:
575:
548:
304:
298:
254:" in the world was made on 14 Oct 2007, in Croatia, with over 200 players of all categories from Croatian rugby club
236:
232:
228:
49:
926:
610:
340:
is another former All Black captain who has
Croatian heritage. Also they have recently appointed a new coach named
196:
1816:
1785:
1612:
1426:
1386:
1213:
1667:
1627:
1587:
1184:
1136:
1011:
809:
1775:
1265:
307:
has been competing since the early 1990s. As of April 2009, the national team is currently competing in the
976:
329:
1790:
791:
536:
269:. In addition, there are currently 23 domestic clubs that compete against each other at various levels.
1702:
1682:
1672:
1295:
1076:
1795:
1742:
1547:
1527:
1517:
1497:
1487:
1391:
1290:
1235:
1046:
1006:
986:
966:
866:
672:
553:
183:
729:
694:
360:
Currently members of the
Croatian Rugby Federation are the following teams (and cities in brackets)
1752:
1692:
1677:
1652:
1552:
1512:
1457:
1174:
981:
278:
224:
1712:
1707:
1662:
1657:
1617:
1607:
1572:
1532:
1381:
1355:
1350:
1340:
1320:
1300:
1194:
1179:
1101:
1061:
1056:
1031:
886:
539:
was set up with teams from
Croatia, Hungary, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia and others.
507:
468:
1164:
1747:
1737:
1722:
1642:
1592:
1577:
1562:
1477:
1462:
1432:
1421:
1416:
1411:
1345:
1310:
1305:
1285:
1280:
1270:
1260:
1096:
1086:
1036:
996:
951:
946:
941:
931:
916:
911:
906:
876:
871:
861:
856:
851:
846:
220:
105:
1757:
1732:
1697:
1647:
1637:
1632:
1602:
1567:
1557:
1507:
1482:
1472:
1452:
1442:
1401:
1375:
1335:
1325:
1189:
1131:
1081:
1071:
1051:
1041:
1026:
1021:
1001:
971:
956:
936:
921:
896:
832:
499:
The
Interliga involved club teams from Croatia, Slovenia and previously Bosnia-Herzegovina.
223:. Before his death in 1994, he tried hard to establish a Central European equivalent of the
1582:
1542:
1522:
1492:
1467:
1437:
1370:
1365:
1106:
1066:
991:
961:
312:
155:
324:
was a one time
Croatian rugby coach and former All Black, whose grandparents were born in
126:
8:
1717:
1622:
1597:
1537:
1502:
1447:
110:
761:
595:
642:
571:
328:. Another former All Black who turned out for the Croatian side at the same time was
159:
532:
In 2006/07, 6 teams entered and Nada became competition winners for the first time.
357:
There are 22 men's teams and 1 women's team. Teams are located in the major cities.
337:
189:
336:
is an
England representative whose father Darko Luger is from the island of Brac.
1244:
614:
100:
415:
1810:
771:
639:
Batting on the Bosphorus: A Skoda-powered Cricket Tour Through Eastern Europe
503:
251:
529:
In 2005/06, 5 teams entered with Croatia's Zagreb winning the competition.
519:
511:
406:
321:
261:
As of August 2011, more than half of the 2,000 registered players are
142:
is a minor sport. As of August 2011, they are ranked fiftieth in the
192:
toured Zagreb, which may be seen as a sign of how things were to improve.
1240:
1236:
143:
134:
801:
523:
494:
208:
796:
455:
386:
325:
379:
333:
515:
444:
400:
266:
262:
422:
411:
255:
138:
776:
608:
Rugby.com/rankings/full.html Official World Rugby World Rankings
751:
741:
472:
393:
781:
756:
766:
462:
448:
786:
438:
372:
365:
286:
212:
fifty Croats playing in the France's top three divisions.
746:
721:
495:
Interliga Competition and Regional Rugby Championship
407:
HARK (Hrvatski Akademski Ragbi Klub) Mladost (Zagreb)
607:
1808:
624:
622:
1221:
817:
669:"Rugby klub Rijeka :: Službene stranice"
652:
491:The woman's club is called Viktorija Zagreb.
722:Official Website of the Croatian Rugby Union
619:
502:In 2004/05, 9 teams participated (Croatia:
215:In the early 1990s, former Italian cap, Dr
1228:
1214:
824:
810:
831:
591:
589:
587:
125:
484:Atletiko Filipjakov (Sv. Filip i Jakov)
347:
1809:
1243:affiliated nations not present in the
584:
1209:
805:
695:"Croatia beat Bulgaria on test debut"
692:
311:and is attempting to qualify for the
202:
277:Croatia's women played their first
13:
526:) with Ljubljana finishing first.
177:
14:
1828:
715:
686:
549:Croatia national rugby union team
535:Also in season 2007/08 onward, a
299:Croatia national rugby union team
149:
292:
272:
197:Rugby Championship of Yugoslavia
1276:Arab states of the Persian Gulf
522:, Bežigrad and Emona - Bosnia:
195:Croatian sides competed in the
661:
641:, Canongate, Edinburgh, 2008,
631:
601:
352:
1:
735:
560:
478:Zagreb Veteranski RK (Zagreb)
219:was a major driving force in
596:Official IRB Croatia profile
7:
1688:St Vincent & Grenadines
542:
537:Regional Rugby Championship
10:
1833:
730:Archives du Rugby: Croatie
693:Birch, John (2023-12-02).
568:The Complete Book of Rugby
296:
258:, for a Millennium Photo.
181:
169:
91:International competitions
1766:
1251:
1155:
1117:
839:
598:, accessed 29 August 2011
554:Rugby union in Yugoslavia
184:Rugby union in Yugoslavia
164:Hrvatski ragbijaški savez
96:
89:
78:
65:
55:
43:
33:
25:
20:
514:, Makarska Rivijera and
469:RK Zagreb (rugby union)
1817:Rugby union in Croatia
1331:British Virgin Islands
1316:Bosnia and Herzegovina
882:Bosnia and Herzegovina
833:Rugby union in Europe
570:(Seven Oaks Ltd, 1997
385:Kastelanska Rivijera (
285:on 2 December 2023 at
163:
130:
106:Rugby World Cup Sevens
21:Rugby union in Croatia
1767:Former states without
1728:Trinidad & Tobago
129:
1769:World Cup experience
1254:World Cup experience
566:Bath, Richard (ed.)
378:Invictus Dubrovnik (
348:Domestic competition
313:2011 Rugby World Cup
309:European Nations Cup
156:Croatian Rugby Union
116:European Nations Cup
39:Croatian Rugby Union
1118:States with limited
792:- Sv. Filip i Jakov
399:Makarska Rivijera (
250:The biggest rugby "
146:'s world rankings.
111:Sevens World Series
1252:Third tier without
613:2011-08-10 at the
217:Giancarlo Tizanini
131:
67:Registered players
1804:
1803:
1203:
1202:
752:Makarska Rivijera
487:Novi Zagreb Rugby
428:Ragbi '59 (Split)
203:Post-independence
124:
123:
85:
74:
1824:
1613:Papua New Guinea
1427:French Polynesia
1245:Rugby World Cups
1230:
1223:
1216:
1207:
1206:
1156:Dependencies and
840:Sovereign states
826:
819:
812:
803:
802:
782:- Vilani Krasica
728:
709:
708:
706:
705:
690:
684:
683:
681:
680:
671:. Archived from
665:
659:
656:
650:
635:
629:
626:
617:
605:
599:
593:
481:Zrinski (Zagreb)
437:Sinj Dalmacija (
338:Sean Fitzpatrick
190:London Welsh RFC
83:
72:
68:
58:
46:
45:National team(s)
36:
18:
17:
1832:
1831:
1827:
1826:
1825:
1823:
1822:
1821:
1807:
1806:
1805:
1800:
1768:
1762:
1668:Solomon Islands
1253:
1247:
1234:
1204:
1199:
1157:
1151:
1137:Northern Cyprus
1119:
1113:
1017:North Macedonia
835:
830:
738:
726:
718:
713:
712:
703:
701:
691:
687:
678:
676:
667:
666:
662:
657:
653:
636:
632:
627:
620:
615:Wayback Machine
606:
602:
594:
585:
563:
545:
497:
431:Rijeka (Rijeka)
355:
350:
301:
295:
275:
207:The breakup of
205:
186:
180:
178:Yugoslav period
172:
152:
120:
101:Rugby World Cup
92:
66:
56:
44:
34:
12:
11:
5:
1830:
1820:
1819:
1802:
1801:
1799:
1798:
1793:
1788:
1783:
1778:
1776:Czechoslovakia
1772:
1770:
1764:
1763:
1761:
1760:
1755:
1750:
1745:
1740:
1735:
1730:
1725:
1720:
1715:
1710:
1705:
1700:
1695:
1690:
1685:
1680:
1675:
1670:
1665:
1660:
1655:
1650:
1645:
1640:
1635:
1630:
1625:
1620:
1615:
1610:
1605:
1600:
1595:
1590:
1585:
1580:
1575:
1570:
1565:
1560:
1555:
1550:
1545:
1540:
1535:
1530:
1525:
1520:
1515:
1510:
1505:
1500:
1495:
1490:
1485:
1480:
1475:
1470:
1465:
1460:
1455:
1450:
1445:
1440:
1435:
1430:
1424:
1419:
1414:
1409:
1407:Czech Republic
1404:
1399:
1394:
1389:
1384:
1379:
1376:Chinese Taipei
1373:
1368:
1363:
1361:Cayman Islands
1358:
1353:
1348:
1343:
1338:
1333:
1328:
1323:
1318:
1313:
1308:
1303:
1298:
1293:
1288:
1283:
1278:
1273:
1268:
1266:American Samoa
1263:
1257:
1255:
1249:
1248:
1233:
1232:
1225:
1218:
1210:
1201:
1200:
1198:
1197:
1192:
1187:
1182:
1177:
1172:
1167:
1161:
1159:
1158:other entities
1153:
1152:
1150:
1149:
1144:
1139:
1134:
1129:
1123:
1121:
1115:
1114:
1112:
1111:
1110:
1109:
1104:
1099:
1092:United Kingdom
1089:
1084:
1079:
1074:
1069:
1064:
1059:
1054:
1049:
1044:
1039:
1034:
1029:
1024:
1019:
1014:
1009:
1004:
999:
994:
989:
984:
979:
974:
969:
964:
959:
954:
949:
944:
939:
934:
929:
924:
919:
914:
909:
904:
902:Czech Republic
899:
894:
889:
884:
879:
874:
869:
864:
859:
854:
849:
843:
841:
837:
836:
829:
828:
821:
814:
806:
800:
799:
794:
789:
784:
779:
774:
769:
764:
759:
754:
749:
744:
737:
734:
733:
732:
724:
717:
716:External links
714:
711:
710:
685:
660:
651:
630:
618:
600:
582:
581:
580:
579:
562:
559:
558:
557:
551:
544:
541:
496:
493:
489:
488:
485:
482:
479:
476:
466:
459:
452:
442:
435:
434:Rudes (Zagreb)
432:
429:
426:
419:
409:
404:
397:
390:
383:
376:
369:
354:
351:
349:
346:
342:Milan Yelavich
330:Matthew Cooper
297:Main article:
294:
291:
274:
271:
221:Austrian rugby
204:
201:
179:
176:
171:
168:
151:
150:Governing body
148:
122:
121:
119:
118:
113:
108:
103:
97:
94:
93:
90:
87:
86:
80:
76:
75:
69:
63:
62:
59:
53:
52:
47:
41:
40:
37:
35:Governing body
31:
30:
27:
23:
22:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1829:
1818:
1815:
1814:
1812:
1797:
1794:
1792:
1789:
1787:
1784:
1782:
1779:
1777:
1774:
1773:
1771:
1765:
1759:
1756:
1754:
1751:
1749:
1746:
1744:
1741:
1739:
1736:
1734:
1731:
1729:
1726:
1724:
1721:
1719:
1716:
1714:
1711:
1709:
1706:
1704:
1701:
1699:
1696:
1694:
1691:
1689:
1686:
1684:
1681:
1679:
1676:
1674:
1671:
1669:
1666:
1664:
1661:
1659:
1656:
1654:
1651:
1649:
1646:
1644:
1641:
1639:
1636:
1634:
1631:
1629:
1626:
1624:
1621:
1619:
1616:
1614:
1611:
1609:
1606:
1604:
1601:
1599:
1596:
1594:
1591:
1589:
1586:
1584:
1581:
1579:
1576:
1574:
1571:
1569:
1566:
1564:
1561:
1559:
1556:
1554:
1551:
1549:
1546:
1544:
1541:
1539:
1536:
1534:
1531:
1529:
1526:
1524:
1521:
1519:
1516:
1514:
1511:
1509:
1506:
1504:
1501:
1499:
1496:
1494:
1491:
1489:
1486:
1484:
1481:
1479:
1476:
1474:
1471:
1469:
1466:
1464:
1461:
1459:
1456:
1454:
1451:
1449:
1446:
1444:
1441:
1439:
1436:
1434:
1431:
1428:
1425:
1423:
1420:
1418:
1415:
1413:
1410:
1408:
1405:
1403:
1400:
1398:
1395:
1393:
1390:
1388:
1385:
1383:
1380:
1377:
1374:
1372:
1369:
1367:
1364:
1362:
1359:
1357:
1354:
1352:
1349:
1347:
1344:
1342:
1339:
1337:
1334:
1332:
1329:
1327:
1324:
1322:
1319:
1317:
1314:
1312:
1309:
1307:
1304:
1302:
1299:
1297:
1294:
1292:
1289:
1287:
1284:
1282:
1279:
1277:
1274:
1272:
1269:
1267:
1264:
1262:
1259:
1258:
1256:
1250:
1246:
1242:
1238:
1231:
1226:
1224:
1219:
1217:
1212:
1211:
1208:
1196:
1193:
1191:
1188:
1186:
1183:
1181:
1178:
1176:
1173:
1171:
1170:Faroe Islands
1168:
1166:
1163:
1162:
1160:
1154:
1148:
1145:
1143:
1142:South Ossetia
1140:
1138:
1135:
1133:
1130:
1128:
1125:
1124:
1122:
1116:
1108:
1105:
1103:
1100:
1098:
1095:
1094:
1093:
1090:
1088:
1085:
1083:
1080:
1078:
1075:
1073:
1070:
1068:
1065:
1063:
1060:
1058:
1055:
1053:
1050:
1048:
1045:
1043:
1040:
1038:
1035:
1033:
1030:
1028:
1025:
1023:
1020:
1018:
1015:
1013:
1010:
1008:
1005:
1003:
1000:
998:
995:
993:
990:
988:
985:
983:
980:
978:
977:Liechtenstein
975:
973:
970:
968:
965:
963:
960:
958:
955:
953:
950:
948:
945:
943:
940:
938:
935:
933:
930:
928:
925:
923:
920:
918:
915:
913:
910:
908:
905:
903:
900:
898:
895:
893:
890:
888:
885:
883:
880:
878:
875:
873:
870:
868:
865:
863:
860:
858:
855:
853:
850:
848:
845:
844:
842:
838:
834:
827:
822:
820:
815:
813:
808:
807:
804:
798:
797:RK Lokomotiva
795:
793:
790:
788:
785:
783:
780:
778:
775:
773:
770:
768:
765:
763:
760:
758:
755:
753:
750:
748:
745:
743:
740:
739:
731:
725:
723:
720:
719:
700:
696:
689:
675:on 2007-10-22
674:
670:
664:
655:
648:
647:1-84767-290-6
644:
640:
634:
625:
623:
616:
612:
609:
604:
597:
592:
590:
588:
583:
577:
576:1-86200-013-1
573:
569:
565:
564:
555:
552:
550:
547:
546:
540:
538:
533:
530:
527:
525:
521:
517:
513:
509:
505:
504:RK Nada Split
500:
492:
486:
483:
480:
477:
474:
470:
467:
464:
460:
457:
453:
450:
446:
443:
440:
436:
433:
430:
427:
424:
420:
417:
413:
410:
408:
405:
402:
398:
395:
391:
388:
384:
381:
377:
374:
370:
367:
363:
362:
361:
358:
345:
343:
339:
335:
331:
327:
323:
319:
316:
314:
310:
306:
305:national team
300:
293:National team
290:
288:
284:
280:
273:Women's rugby
270:
268:
264:
259:
257:
253:
248:
246:
242:
238:
234:
230:
226:
222:
218:
213:
210:
200:
198:
193:
191:
185:
175:
167:
165:
161:
157:
147:
145:
141:
140:
136:
128:
117:
114:
112:
109:
107:
104:
102:
99:
98:
95:
88:
84:(August 2011)
81:
77:
73:(August 2011)
70:
64:
60:
54:
51:
48:
42:
38:
32:
28:
24:
19:
16:
1791:West Germany
1781:East Germany
1396:
1387:Cook Islands
1147:Transnistria
891:
772:Tomislavgrad
742:HARK Mladost
702:. Retrieved
699:Scrum Queens
698:
688:
677:. Retrieved
673:the original
663:
654:
638:
637:Bell, Angus
633:
603:
567:
534:
531:
528:
520:RK Ljubljana
518:- Slovenia:
512:HARK Mladost
501:
498:
490:
392:Lokomotiva (
359:
356:
322:Frano Botica
320:
317:
302:
276:
260:
249:
214:
206:
194:
187:
173:
153:
133:
132:
57:First played
15:
1703:Switzerland
1673:South Korea
1628:Philippines
1588:Netherlands
1241:World Rugby
1237:Rugby union
1185:Isle of Man
1120:recognition
1077:Switzerland
1012:Netherlands
727:(in French)
353:Local Teams
225:Six Nations
144:World Rugby
135:Rugby union
1796:Yugoslavia
1743:Uzbekistan
1548:Mauritania
1528:Madagascar
1518:Luxembourg
1498:Kyrgyzstan
1488:Kazakhstan
1392:Costa Rica
1291:Azerbaijan
1047:San Marino
1007:Montenegro
987:Luxembourg
967:Kazakhstan
867:Azerbaijan
747:Nada Split
736:Club Pages
704:2023-12-09
679:2009-08-18
561:References
556:(pre-1992)
461:RK Zadar (
279:test match
209:Yugoslavia
182:See also:
1753:Venezuela
1693:Swaziland
1683:St Lucia
1678:Sri Lanka
1653:Singapore
1553:Mauritius
1513:Lithuania
1458:Hong Kong
1175:Gibraltar
982:Lithuania
787:- RK Brač
508:RK Zagreb
454:Šibenik (
380:Dubrovnik
364:RK Knin (
334:Dan Luger
267:teenagers
263:pre-teens
1811:Category
1713:Thailand
1708:Tanzania
1663:Slovenia
1658:Slovakia
1618:Paraguay
1608:Pakistan
1573:Mongolia
1533:Malaysia
1429:(Tahiti)
1382:Colombia
1378:(Taiwan)
1356:Cameroon
1351:Cambodia
1341:Bulgaria
1321:Botswana
1301:Barbados
1195:Svalbard
1180:Guernsey
1127:Abkhazia
1102:Scotland
1062:Slovenia
1057:Slovakia
1032:Portugal
887:Bulgaria
658:Bath p63
628:Bath p65
611:Archived
543:See also
524:RK Čelik
516:RK Sisak
445:RK Sisak
401:Makarska
283:Bulgaria
281:against
241:Slovenia
227:between
160:Croatian
1748:Vanuatu
1738:Ukraine
1723:Tunisia
1643:Senegal
1593:Nigeria
1578:Morocco
1563:Moldova
1478:Jamaica
1463:Hungary
1433:Germany
1422:Finland
1417:Ecuador
1412:Denmark
1397:Croatia
1346:Burundi
1311:Bermuda
1306:Belgium
1296:Bahamas
1286:Austria
1281:Armenia
1271:Andorra
1261:Algeria
1097:England
1087:Ukraine
1037:Romania
997:Moldova
952:Ireland
947:Iceland
942:Hungary
932:Germany
927:Georgia
917:Finland
912:Estonia
907:Denmark
892:Croatia
877:Belgium
872:Belarus
862:Austria
857:Armenia
852:Andorra
847:Albania
777:RK Knin
767:RK Sinj
456:Šibenik
421:Ploce (
387:Kaštela
326:Korčula
237:Croatia
233:Hungary
229:Austria
170:History
139:Croatia
50:Croatia
29:Croatia
26:Country
1758:Zambia
1733:Uganda
1698:Sweden
1648:Serbia
1638:Rwanda
1633:Poland
1603:Norway
1568:Monaco
1558:Mexico
1508:Latvia
1483:Jordan
1473:Israel
1453:Guyana
1443:Greece
1402:Cyprus
1336:Brunei
1326:Brazil
1190:Jersey
1132:Kosovo
1082:Turkey
1072:Sweden
1052:Serbia
1042:Russia
1027:Poland
1022:Norway
1002:Monaco
972:Latvia
957:Israel
937:Greece
922:France
897:Cyprus
757:Zagreb
649:, p159
645:
574:
473:Zagreb
394:Zagreb
371:Pula (
245:Bosnia
71:2,142
1583:Nauru
1543:Malta
1523:Macau
1493:Kenya
1468:India
1438:Ghana
1371:China
1366:Chile
1165:Åland
1107:Wales
1067:Spain
992:Malta
962:Italy
762:Ploce
463:Zadar
449:Sisak
423:Ploče
416:Split
252:scrum
79:Clubs
1786:USSR
1718:Togo
1623:Peru
1598:Niue
1538:Mali
1503:Laos
1448:Guam
643:ISBN
572:ISBN
439:Sinj
412:Nada
373:Pula
366:Knin
303:The
287:Sinj
256:Nada
243:and
154:The
61:1954
1239:in
265:or
137:in
82:21
1813::
697:.
621:^
586:^
510:,
506:,
332:.
315:.
289:.
247:.
239:,
235:,
231:,
162::
1229:e
1222:t
1215:v
825:e
818:t
811:v
707:.
682:.
578:)
475:)
471:(
465:)
458:)
451:)
447:(
441:)
425:)
418:)
414:(
403:)
396:)
389:)
382:)
375:)
368:)
158:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.