U-18 Team Wins the Croatian Rugby 7s Cup!
After a tense senior match on Saturday, Zagreb’s U-18 team kept the celebration going by winning the Croatian Rugby 7s Cup. The young rugby players showcased outstanding form throughout the entire tournament, remaining unbeaten across all four matches.
Line-up: David Koci, David Kaurić, Maks Pomper, Vigo Grilc, Bartol Ivček, Maks Matković, Mihael Jeleč, Leo Rudnički, and Ivano Šojić Coach: Safet Čerim
The tournament began for the Zagreb side with a convincing 52–5 victory over Mladost. The team controlled the pace of the match from start to finish, dominating possession throughout.
In the second match against Sinj (26–0), Zagreb needed a bit more time to find their rhythm. The first five minutes were evenly matched, but the Zagreb side soon took control. Quick ball movement from the left to the right flank opened gaps in the opposing defense, leading to a confident victory.
The third match, against Novi Zagreb (33–10), proved to be the toughest challenge. Zagreb had a poor start, conceding two tries in the first four minutes. However, the team showed great character and managed to fight their way back into the game. By halftime, they had turned the score around to 14–10, and in the second half, they steadily extended their lead in a composed performance.
The final against Nada Split (33–5) was the most physically demanding match of the tournament. It opened with plenty of contact situations, rucks, and tackles. Zagreb capitalized on a disciplinary lapse by their opponents, who failed to retreat the required 10 meters — a quick tap over the defensive line and a try over the goal line put them ahead 7–0. Nada Split responded to make it 7–5, but Zagreb, showing superior focus and taking advantage of their opponents’ mistakes — under the expert guidance of coach Čerim — pulled away in the closing stages to bring the trophy home.
Game results:
1.Zagreb 52 – 05 Mladost
2.Zagreb 26 – 0 Sinj
3.Zagreb 33 -10 Novi Zagreb
4.Zagreb 33 – 05 Nada Split
Congratulations to the coach and the young Croatian champions! They’ve shown that the club’s future is in safe hands.
Bab Šik!