Red Star Belgrade win Balkan Super League – reaction

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FROM: ERL MEDIA DEPARTMENT

DATE: 7 July, 2023

RED STAR TRIUMPH IN BALKAN SUPER LEAGUE GRAND FINAL

Red Star Belgrade picked up their fifth Balkan Super League title in the seven years of the competitions existence, defeating rivals Partisan 1953, 40-6 in the Grand Final at the FK Sava 45 Stadium in the city.

They scored seven tries, all from different players, Milos Zogovic finishing with 16 points from a try and six goals. Red Star led 12-0 early on after touchdowns from Rajko Trifunovic and Denis Chengaj, Partisan losing their strike centre, international Aleksandar Pavlovic to injury.

Further tries from Vladislav Dedic and Zogovic gave Red Star a 26-6 half time lead, Andrej Marinkovic replying for Partisan, but Dragan Kokanovics score three minutes into the second period all but settled the outcome. Marko Jankovic and Bosko Todorovics late scores completed a convincing win.

Colin Kleyweg, Red Star president, said: The Balkan Super League win in 2023 is one of the proudest moments for the club given the score line against formidable opposition, and the fact we did it with a team principally of juniors between the ages of 17 to 19 across half our starting side. The development of the next group of Red Star players, all of Serbian heritage, is a moment we place great pride in for both our future and that of the Serbian national team.

Director of the Balkan Super League, Dragan Pavlovc, commented: There is still a strong dominance of Serbian teams as they have the most developed domestic competition in the region, but clubs like Arsenal from Tivat, Montenegro, are progressing year by year and providing more and more competitive matches.

Refreshing for the league this year was the comeback of Greek teams, especially AEK Athens. A total of 15 games were played in the league part of the competition in the first division, plus the Grand Final. After the covid pandemic, this is so far the biggest competition with two divisions for the first time since 2019, embracing 12 clubs in total from six countries.

He added: The distances between some teams are over 1000 km, which only shows the effort and funds that the clubs have invested in this competition. One of the oddities is that every year there are more and more players from traditional rugby league countries like England and Wales who are interested in playing in the competition and helping the development of rugby league in the Balkan countries. This year, four players from Wales participated.

For next year plan is that we include clubs from North Macedonia together with the return of those from Bosnia and Herzegovina. There is also interest again from Italy, with the Udine region club.

RED STAR – 40

Milos Zogovic, Marko Jevdjic, Denis Cengaj, Rajko Trifunovic, Miroslav Selimovski, Vladislav Dedic, Vojislav Dedic, Milos Calic, Vuk Strbac, Marko Jankovic, Dragan Kokanovic, Balsa Zarkovic, Nikola Djuric,

Subs: Miodrag Tomic, Uros Martinovic, Bosko Todorovic, Silver Zenuni

Tries Rajko Trifunovic 3rd min, Denis Cengaj 7th min, Vladislav Dedic 32nd min, Milos Zogovic 35th min, Dragan Kokanovic 47th min, Marko Jankovic 68th min, Bosko Todorovic 79th min, Goals: 6/8 Milos Zogovic

Goals: 6/8 Milos Zogovic

PARTISAN 1953 – 6

Dragan Jankovic, Darko Samardzic, Aleksandar Pavlovic Andrej Marinkovic, Boban Jankovic, Dzavid Jasari, Branko Carapic, Billy Forrester, Filip Nesic, Velibor Karanovic, Strahinja Stojiljkovic, Nemanja Manojlovic, Enis Bibic

Subs: Darko Abidinovic, Filip Samardzic, Milos Tamburic, Jasmin Bibic

tries Andrej Marinkovic 14th min,

Goal: Dzavid Jasari 1/1

Half time: 26-6

Referee: Lazar Zivkovic

Phil Caplan

Media Manager

M: +44 (0) 7850 719 412

E: phil.caplan

European Rugby League is a trading name of European Rugby League Federation Ltd. This message and any attachments are strictly confidential and may contain legally privileged information.The contents of the transmission are intended for the named addressee(s) only. If you are not the addressee please do not read, print, store or re-transmit it or any attachments to it.Instead, please email it back to the sender and then immediately permanently delete it from your system. The views or opinions presented here are solely of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the European Rugby League Federation Ltd. European Rugby League Federation Ltd. is not bound by any contract or obligation created by this e-mail and excludes all liability to you or any third party in respect of its contents (to the maximum extent permitted by the law). European Rugby League Federation Ltd

Rugby League Ireland to stage Magic Weekend

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FROM: ERL MEDIA DEPARTMENT

DATE: 6 July, 2023

RUGBY LEAGUE IRELAND TO STAGE MAGIC WEEKEND

Rugby League Ireland’s Magic Weekend takes place this Saturday (8 July) at Coolmine RFC in Dublin, the home of Coolmine-Longhorns RLFC.

The day, which will be the second annual staging of the event, will see all six Men’s Premiership sides meet at the same venue, with the Women’s Championship teams also playing a round robin of their fixtures.

Dublin Exiles kick the day off at 1pm with the club’s first team taking on their second team, the sides sat fifth and sixth in the table respectively, with the first team having recorded just one win from three, whilst the second team are yet to get off the mark.

Banbridge Broncos currently top the Men’s Premiership table, unbeaten in their four games, and will be seeking to defend their perfect start when they face fourth placed Cork Bulls at 3pm.

Hosts Coolmine-Longhorns then close the day at 5pm against Galway Tribesmen, both teams having two wins from three meaning the victor will move into second place.

In the women’s competition, table topping Dublin City Exiles together with Banbridge Broncos and Galway Tribeswomen will continue their season with fixtures getting underway at 1pm.

“I am really pleased that all of the senior club sides in Ireland will be taking part in this special Magic Weekend,” noted Rugby League Ireland chair Jim Reynolds. “The day will be a fantastic occasion and will give everyone a chance to come together to celebrate all that is good about rugby league at senior level in the country, with our grateful thanks to Coolmine-Longhorns for hosting.”

Rugby League Ireland Magic – Men’s Premiership

1pm – Dublin City Exiles v Dublin City Exiles II

3pm – Banbridge Broncos v Cork Bulls

5pm – Coolmine-Longhorns v Galway Tribesmen

Rugby League Ireland Magic – Women’s Premiership

1pm – Round robin of Dublin City Exiles v Galway Tribeswomen v Banbridge Broncos

Phil Caplan

Media Manager

M: +44 (0) 7850 719 412

E: phil.caplan

European Rugby League is a trading name of European Rugby League Federation Ltd. This message and any attachments are strictly confidential and may contain legally privileged information.The contents of the transmission are intended for the named addressee(s) only. If you are not the addressee please do not read, print, store or re-transmit it or any attachments to it.Instead, please email it back to the sender and then immediately permanently delete it from your system. The views or opinions presented here are solely of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the European Rugby League Federation Ltd. European Rugby League Federation Ltd. is not bound by any contract or obligation created by this e-mail and excludes all liability to you or any third party in respect of its contents (to the maximum extent permitted by the law). European Rugby League Federation Ltd