# Croatia national rugby union team

The Croatia national rugby union team is governed by the Croatian Rugby Union. Croatia have been playing internationals rugby since 1992, they have yet to qualify for the Rugby World Cup. The national side is ranked 46th in the world (as of 20 March 2023)

## Internationals

Croatia played their first international on 28 November 1992, away against Bosnia & Herzegovina, and won 47–3. Croatia played four the following year with wins over Austria and Hungary. They then faced off against Italy, who won 76–11. The year finished off with a win over Morocco 36–12 but a loss to Spain .
The following year they won three of their five fixtures, though they lost to Ukraine and Luxembourg, though the following year, they were able to defeat Luxembourg in 1995. Croatia won a number of games in 1996–97, defeating the likes of Israel, Norway, Bulgaria, Latvia and Moldova and but losing to an experienced Georgia that year by 29–15.
1997 to 2000, Croatia played 11 International for 10 wins and 1 loss (to the Netherlands).
Croatia won five matches in a row from 2001 to 2002. Croatia started in round three of the 2007 Rugby World Cup European qualification tournament but were knocked out by Latvia and Andorra.
On St. Patrick's Day 17 March 2007, in Knin, the Croatian national team played an Irish Barbarians side and won the St. Pat's in Knin Cup.
On 10 November 2007 Croatia defeated Malta 24–9 in Makarska. There are two internationals coming up in 2008 with Croatia taking on Andorra in Split (19 April) and away to Latvia in Riga (10 May)

## Famous players

Croatia have a host of players who are New Zealanders, Australians and South Africans of Croatian origin who play the game and have played internationally for these countries. The first New Zealander of Croatian descent to play for Croatia was Brendon Winslow against Luxembourg in 1995.
Other New Zealanders, were Paul Vegar (North Shore, NZ reps), Mario Vodanovich (Te Kauwhata, Counties), Paul Vujcich (Counties, Manurewa and North Shore) and the Graham brothers Rob and Reon (Counties, Patumahoe, Manurewa).
Anthony Posa was another New Zealander who played many times for Croatia (1996–2003), playing out of both the GHA RFC, Glasgow, Scotland and Beverley RUFC, Yorkshire, England. He is now Head Coach of the Yorkshire Under 20 County side which has won numerous English National County Championships and coaches professionally at the Doncaster club in England. His family originated from the Island of Korčula.
Frano Botica was a one time Croatian rugby player and former All Black, whose grandparents were also born in Korčula. Another former All Black who turned out for the Croatian side at the same time was Matthew Cooper. Dan Luger is an England representative whose father Darko Luger is from the island of Brac. Sean Fitzpatrick is another former All Black captain who has Croatian heritage.

## Record
### World Cup

| World Cup record | World Cup record | World Cup record | World Cup record | World Cup record | World Cup record | World Cup record | World Cup record | World Cup Qualification record | World Cup Qualification record | World Cup Qualification record | World Cup Qualification record | World Cup Qualification record | World Cup Qualification record |
| Year | Round | P | W | D | L | F | A | P | W | D | L | F | A |
| 1987 | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia |
| 1991 | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia |
| 1995 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1999 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 297 | 172 |
| 2003 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 56 | 70 |
| 2007 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 76 | 86 |
| 2011 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 74 | 60 |
| 2015 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 78 | 92 |
| 2019 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 106 | 79 |
| 2023 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Automatically eliminated | Automatically eliminated | Automatically eliminated | Automatically eliminated | Automatically eliminated | Automatically eliminated |
| Total | 0/9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 15 | 1 | 12 | 687 | 559 |

### European Competitions

| Season | Division | G | W | D | L | PF | PA | +/− | Pts | Pos |
| 2000 | European Nations Cup Second Division | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 105 | 36 | +29 | 9 | 2nd |
| 2000-01 | European Nations Cup Second Division | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 70 | 77 | -7 | 10 | 4th |
| 2002-04 | European Nations Cup Second Division Pool B | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 114 | 95 | +19 | 15 | 3rd |
| 2006-08 | European Nations Cup Second Division 2B | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 133 | 134 | -1 | 16 | 3rd |
| 2008-10 | European Nations Cup Second Division 2B | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 161 | 114 | +47 | 20 | 2nd |
| 2010-12 | European Nations Cup Second Division 2A | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 162 | 170 | -8 | 19 | 4th |
| 2012-14 | European Nations Cup Second Division 2A | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 145 | 221 | -76 | 11 | 4th |
| 2014-16 | European Nations Cup Second Division 2A | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 166 | 217 | -51 | 17 | 3rd |
| 2016-17 | Rugby Europe Conference 1 South | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 106 | 79 | +27 | 12 | 3rd |
| 2017-18 | Rugby Europe Conference 1 South | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 85 | 97 | -12 | 11 | 2nd |
| 2018-19 | Rugby Europe Conference 1 South | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 123 | 69 | +54 | 16 | 2nd |
| 2019-20 | Rugby Europe Conference 1 South | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 64 | 30 | +34 | 9 | 1st |
| 2021-22* | Rugby Europe Conference 1 South | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 77 | 11 | +66 | 10 | 1st |
| 2022-23 | Rugby Europe Trophy | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 100 | 133 | -33 | 5 | 5th |
| 2023-24 | Rugby Europe Trophy | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 83 | 75 | +8 | 6 | 4th |

### Overall

Below is a table of the representative rugby matches played by a Croatia national XV at test level up until 22 February 2025, updated after match with Poland.
| Opponent | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | % Won |
| Andorra | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 71.43% |
| Austria | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Belgium | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 50% |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Bulgaria | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Cyprus | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Czech Republic | 7 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 14.29% |
| Denmark | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 80% |
| Georgia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Germany | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 33.33% |
| Hungary | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Italy | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Italy A | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Israel | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 87.5% |
| Latvia | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 75% |
| Lithuania | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 50% |
| Luxembourg | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 33.33% |
| Malta | 15 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 53.33% |
| Moldova | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Morocco | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Netherlands | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 20% |
| Norway | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Poland | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 25% |
| Russia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Serbia and Montenegro | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Slovenia | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 87.5% |
| Spain | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0% |
| Sweden | 7 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 14.29% |
| Switzerland | 10 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 20% |
| Ukraine | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 33.33% |
| Total | 133 | 73 | 53 | 7 | 54.89% |

## Recent Matches

Matches :
6 November 2021 14:00 CET (UTC+01)(1 TBP) Croatia 48–3 SloveniaReportStari plac, Split Attendance: 100 Referee: Benjamin Loader (Austria) :
13 November 2021 15:00 EET (UTC+02)Cyprus 8–29 Croatia (1 TBP)ReportStelios Kyriakides Stadium, Paphos Attendance: 0 Referee: Florin Bonea (Romania) :

## Current squad

The following players formed the squad for the 2021–22 Rugby Europe Conference 1 South match against Cyprus on 13 November 2021.
* Known Caps updated after match with Cyprus.
Head coach: Anthony Posa
Note: Flags indicate national union for the club/province as defined by World Rugby.
| Player | Position | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Club/province |
| Ivan Josip Kordun | Prop | (1994-04-19) 19 April 1994 (age 30) | | RK Nada |
| Krešimir Čorić | Hooker | (1993-08-26) 26 August 1993 (age 31) | | RK Nada |
| Luka Perlain | Prop | (1998-11-28) 28 November 1998 (age 26) | | RK Nada |
| Alexander Bibic | Lock | (1998-08-08) 8 August 1998 (age 26) | | |
| Dražen Brčić-Šušak | Lock | (1996-11-28) 28 November 1996 (age 28) | | RK Sinj |
| Ivo Perić | Flanker | (1993-08-02) 2 August 1993 (age 31) | | RK Nada |
| Martin Rešković | Flanker | (1986-09-08) 8 September 1986 (age 38) | | RK Zagreb |
| Marko Buljac | Number 8 | (1986-11-28) 28 November 1986 (age 38) | | HARK Mladost |
| Luka Lerotić | Scrum-half | (1990-11-28) 28 November 1990 (age 34) | | RK Nada |
| Nik Jurišić (c) | Fly-half | (1988-07-06) 6 July 1988 (age 36) | | HARK Mladost |
| Jan Vlašić | Wing | (1992-05-29) 29 May 1992 (age 32) | | HARK Mladost |
| Filip Perica | Centre | (1991-06-04) 4 June 1991 (age 33) | | RC Sarlat |
| Marko Grčić | Centre | (1992-11-28) 28 November 1992 (age 32) | | RK Sinj |
| Nikola Pavlović | Wing | (1992-12-18) 18 December 1992 (age 32) | | RK Sinj |
| Domagoj Plazibat | Fullback | (1995-10-31) 31 October 1995 (age 29) | | RK Nada |
| Tomislav Fišić | Back row | (1999-01-29) 29 January 1999 (age 26) | | HARK Mladost |
| Denis Brečić | Prop | (1999-11-28) 28 November 1999 (age 25) | | HARK Mladost |
| Marko Bužančić | Prop | (2000-11-28) 28 November 2000 (age 24) | 1 | RK Nada |
| Marin Miloš | Lock | (1999-05-02) 2 May 1999 (age 25) | 1 | RK Sinj |
| Željko Galić | Flanker | (1999-11-28) 28 November 1999 (age 25) | | RK Zagreb |
| Dominik Fišić | ?? | (2000-01-29) 29 January 2000 (age 25) | | HARK Mladost |
| Duje Plazibat | Centre | (1997-12-27) 27 December 1997 (age 27) | | RK Nada |
| Fran Peršić | Wing | (1997-10-12) 12 October 1997 (age 27) | | HARK Mladost |