Croatian Rugby Federation

{{Infobox national rugby union

| unionname = Croatian Rugby Federation

| nativename = {{lang|hr|Hrvatski ragbijaški savez}}

| logo =

| logosize =

| founded = {{start date and age|1962|4|1|df=y}}

| IRB = 1992

| region = Rugby Europe

| regionyear =

| president = {{flagicon|Croatia}} Dragutin Kamenski

| coach = {{flagicon|NZL}} Milan Yelavich

| womenscoach =

| url = {{url|www.rugby.hr}}

}}

The Croatian Rugby Federation ({{langx|hr|Hrvatski ragbijaški savez}}) is the governing body for rugby union in Croatia.

History

The Croatian Rugby Federation was founded in 1962 as a domestic governing body in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia under the control of the Yugoslavia Rugby Federation.{{cite web|url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/198069298.pdf |title=Origins and Development of Rugby |publisher=POLYTECHNIC OF MEĐIMURJE IN ČAKOVEC

|via=Core.ac |accessdate=2025-04-01}} In the 1970s and 1980s, the Croatian Rugby Federation would often host New Zealand touring clubs due to the Croatian diaspora in New Zealand.{{Cite web|url=https://www.croatiaweek.com/new-zealand-tarara-arrive-in-croatia-to-reconnect-with-roots-through-rugby/|title=New Zealand 'Tarara' arrive in Croatia to reconnect with roots through rugby|date=23 October 2024|accessdate=1 April 2025}} In 1991, while still part of Yugoslavia, the Croatian Rugby Federation appealed to South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and a handful of other countries looking for players with Croatian ancestry though this was unsuccessful.{{Cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/376957547|title=Sport as a Medium for Multidimensional Social Inclusion: The Role of Rugby in the (Re-)construction of the Identity of New Zealanders of Croatian Origin|website=ResearchGate|accessdate=1 April 2025}} Following Croatian independence in 1992, the Federation became an independent national governing body with them joining the International Rugby Football Board (IRFB). In 1995 with assistance from the Croatian Olympic Committee, the Federation reached out for New Zealand coaches with Croatian ancestry. By 1999, they approached New Zealanders with Croatian grandparents to play for the Croatia national rugby union team for the 1999 Rugby World Cup qualifiers. Due to Croatia failing to qualify, fewer New Zealand based players were approached in favour of domestic growth programme.

In 2016, the Croatian Rugby Federation gained recognition from the European Union for pioneering a campaign against gender based violence in sport.{{Cite web|url=https://sport.ec.europa.eu/sites/default/files/gender-based-violence-sport-study-2016_en.pdf |title=Gender based violence in sport study 2016 |publisher=European Commission |accessdate=2025-04-01}} In 2022, the Croatian Rugby Federation appealed to the President of Croatia Zoran Milanović for assistance with growing rugby in Croatia, due to a lack of available rugby pitches and lack of understanding from national institutions leading to clubs mostly renting pitch time from association football clubs.{{Cite web|url=https://www.predsjednik.hr/en/news/president-milanovic-receives-croatian-rugby-federation-leadership/|title=President Milanović Receives Croatian Rugby Federation Leadership|website=President of the Republic of Croatia |accessdate=1 April 2025}}