Guest Appearance on HRT
Guests on the show "Sportske minute" were Croatian national rugby players and club members Josipa Farac and Niko Vranešević, who spoke with host Bruno Kovačević about the recently concluded European Championship Division 2 in Makarska, where the Croatian men’s national team finished in sixth place.
They explained the key differences between the two rugby formats: “The main difference is in duration — in rugby 7s the match lasts 14 minutes, while in rugby 15s it lasts 80 minutes. Then there’s the number of players — 15 vs. 15 in rugby union and 7 vs. 7 in rugby sevens. In 7s there’s much more running, you have to be physically fitter than in 15s.”
They also reflected on Croatia’s performance: “Last weekend we played the first tournament, and the second one takes place in two weeks. We finished sixth — not the result we were hoping for, as we expected more. We had a tough group, and in the quarterfinal we met a very strong opponent, which knocked us out.”
Josipa shared her unexpected journey into rugby from her hometown of Korčula: “It happened spontaneously. My roommate’s friend invited her to a training session, she came back thrilled and said, ‘You should try it too.’ I went, and that’s how it all started. My height and strength helped me fit in quickly.”
She also spoke about the upcoming challenge for the women’s national team: “We’re in the Conference division. Last year it was played in Belgrade, and this year it’s in Andorra. Our goal is to finish in the top two and move up to the next division, the Trophy. Right now, our biggest goal is to increase the number of female players — that’s been improving over the past two years.”
Niko, a medical student, explained how he balances rugby and his studies: “We have club training three times a week, and I add individual fitness work on top of that. With good organization, it’s possible to manage everything — even with university.”
He also shared his thoughts on the sport’s growth potential: “There are a few more of us now, but we still face the same issue — there aren’t enough clubs, so the player pool for the national team is smaller. The main goal is to expand that. We have the right genetics, and with a good plan and proper funding, we can go far.”