СИНГИДУНУМ

Rugby Club Singidunum is one of the oldest active clubs in our country. The initiative came from Stanislav Kolundzija and the club was founded on 23 of May 1967.

The founding conference was held in the apartment of Stanislav Kolundzija, in Terazije 22, Belgrade. This was the address of the clubs headquarters. The first president was Stanislav Kolundzija. This new club joined the competition organized by Yugoslavian Rugby Association. One of the main characteristics of the new club was its charm and youthful enthusiasm that the players had. They were all in love with the game of passing and running-how rugby is often referred to.

It will remain recorded that the players of Singidunum were the first to play the game with letters written on their jerseys. Each of the players had a letter written next to the number on the jersey. When they would stand next to each other the viewers could read SINGIDUNUM_1967. Even today the stories are told about the championship game against reigning champions Dinamo from Pancevo when Singidunum players came to the field wearing white gloves or players showing before and after the game wearing ties and rugby jerseys. It will be written in history of rugby books in this country that players paid all expenses including equipment, travels and expenses of officials while competing in the Championship of Yugoslavia from 1968 to 1971.

Friendship, love for rugby and determination of these young people to play were stronger than poverty and the lack of finances. After each game the players would salute the audience and their opponents by shouting “ For our money we party, party, party…” which showed how these young people understood rugby, as a game, recreation and not like a competitive sport. It was clear that in these circumstances the president, and the coach at the same time, Stanislav Kolundzija, could not expect great results. Another reason was the average age of the team of barely over 20.

Stanislav Kolundzija was the president of RC Singidunum until 1972. From that year to 1993 the club was shut down.

Twenty years later, thanks to Dragan Pavlovic and with the support of former players and the members of the board, Stanislav Kolundzija, Ljubisa Stevic, Predrag Obradovic and others the new founding conference was held at Ada Ciganlija on the 15 of June 1993. Ljubisa Stevic was elected president. And so after twenty years the spirit of Singidunum became alive again only this time with new young people. In the first year the club used the facilities of the BRC. Soon after that the club started competing in Yugoslavian Cup in 1993 and in Yugoslavian Championship. The idea at the beginning was the club to be a veteran organization, but the management soon realized that there would be no prosperity without young categories. Realizing the fact that tenants position is holding back the progress, the management decides to use the facilities of Kosutnjak Sport Centre.

Moving the club on a new location brought the reduction of the squad, but soon the positive effects were visible with many new young beginners becoming members. Along with constant rejuvenation of the team, the club worked on forming the junior team. In the autumn of 1996, first time since its founding the junior time was formed, which successfully competed in Yugoslavian Junior Cup. By far the greatest result of the junior team was in an International Rugby Tournament Belgrade ’96, where RC Singidunum  
took second place of seven teams from Bulgaria, Romania and Yugoslavia loosing to Steaua from Bucharest in the finals, leaving behind Partizan, reigning champion of Yugoslavia in that category at that time, as well as CSS from Bucharest, KBRC from Belgrade, Zarkovo and Lokomotiv from Sofia, and making the biggest surprise of the tournament.

Excellent games on the tournament, as well as on the Yugoslav Junior Cup made five potential junior representatives of Yugoslavia: Zeljko Saric, Radoslav Novakovic, Nikola Scepanovic, Nenad Banjanac and Vuk Vukoje. With Ljubomir Bukvic and Dejan Popovic already caped for senior team, this was a great impetuous for further work.

Ljubisa Stevic was the president of the club from 1994 to 1996 when he was replaced by Dragan Pavlovic who will remain president until 1998. Since 1997 the club is working under the Centre for protective care of toddlers, children and youth.

At the end of 1997 the club changes the address and moves to Home for children and youth Jovan Jovanovic Zmaj in Belgrade suburb Brace Jerkovic. On the 7 of February 1998 another elective conference was held and new president was elected, fourth since the club was founded, Vojislav Petrovic, who ran the club since 2001.

From 2001 to 2004 the president was Milan Samarzija, from 2005 to 2008 Branisalv Andrejevic, and in 2009 Predrag Korolija was elected president and is performing this duty at present.