There will be a different name on the Serbian Cup trophy, as Partisan 1953 face Radnicki Nis at the FC Heroj Polet stadium in the Belgrade suburb of Jajinci today (8 May, kick off 2pm local time).
It is the oldest rugby league competition in the country going back to the days of the former Yugoslavia, having been first contested in 1958 when Jedinstvo Pancevo defeated Madost Zagreb 16-14 in Borovo, and run until 1963. From the reformation of the game in the country in 2011, Dorcol have claimed 11 of the 16 finals played, Red Star the last three and four in total, with Partisan’s last triumph in 2017, to match their 1960 win over Zmaj Zemun.
Radnicki Nis have never won the silverware and have only made the decider once, losing to Red Star 42-12 at home in 2019. This year’s semi finals saw Partisan defeat Red Star 32-24 whilst Radnicki Nis overcame Tsar Dusan the Mighty.
Serbian Rugby League board member, Radoslav Novakovic, said: “The Serbian Rugby League Cup is one of our most important domestic competitions with a significant history. It allows even the smallest to compete with the most well known names and is a vehicle for growth. Partisan 1953 will start as slight favourites after their superb display in the semi final. Beforehand will be the Serbian U14 Cup tournament, continuing our focus on youth development.”
The match will be livestreamed by Sports Flick at:
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The Rugby League World Cup is taking place between the 23 October – 27 November this autumn and is the pinnacle of international Rugby League, globally contested every four years. RLWC2021 will be a breakthrough moment in the tournament’s history with the men’s, women’s and wheelchair competitions being staged together for the first time.
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