Behind us is a snowy rugby Saturday — the last one of the season. The Lions hosted the tough Turtles from Ljubljana on a frozen Rudeš field in the final round of the Croatian Championship, looking for their first points and victory. What they were looking for, they found. The home side adapted better to the harsh winter conditions than their Slovenian neighbors. From the very start, Zagreb controlled the flow of the match and scored the first try. Despite a well-organized game plan from coach Gary Braid, a brief gap opened in the Lions’ strong defense, allowing the visitors to equalize. However, the stalemate didn’t last long — within minutes, the hosts scored again, maintaining constant pressure through quick pick-and-go plays and low tactical kicks that forced Ljubljana to defend with their backs against the wall. The same approach paid off in the second half. With excellent play from young fly-half Roguljić, the Lions increased their lead to 17:7. That score remained until the match was stopped 15 minutes before full time, as both freezing captains agreed with the referee to call it — much to the satisfaction of the home team, who recorded a long-awaited victory over the strong Ljubljana side. Although Zagreb once again finished the Croatian Championship at the bottom of the table, the team’s structure is finally coming together. This season saw ten new players from Zagreb’s golden U18 generation — triple winners of the U18 Cup and Championship — join the senior squad. With continued quality work across the junior and senior levels, brighter days are ahead. The Lions are on their way back to their former glory, ready to once again compete head-to-head with the top teams for the championship title. Until the next battles on the rugby field — ragbili!