Italy 7s international Ratko Jelic makes SuperLiga Kaufland switch

Italian 7s international Ratko Jelic has agreed to join SuperLiga Kaufland side Dinamo Bucharest, with the scrum-half expected to make his debut in the following weeks. Born in Belgrade, Jelic left Serbia at a young age and took his first steps in rugby at Rugby Jesi 1970, the same club his father played for in the 2000s.

He would eventually be enlisted in the Italian union academy system, but due to the COVID pandemic, Jelic missed the chance to represent the Azzurri U20s. Despite that setback, the scrum-half secured his first senior contract with Rugby Viadana, remaining with the Serie A Elite side until 2022, when he earned a move to Zebre.

During this period, Jelic was selected for the Italy 7s team and competed at the Moscow leg of the Men’s Rugby Europe Championship 7s Series, a tournament that ended with the Italians finishing second-to-last overall.

Jelic enjoyed a strong start with the URC side, coming off the bench several times, showcasing a good passing skillset in his debut season. However, the rise of Pumas Gonzalo García at the Italian franchise pushed Jelic down to third choice at scrum-half, limiting him to only five appearances over the course of the 2023/24 and 2024/25 campaigns.

With opportunities in the URC proving scarce, Jelic was loaned out to Colorno and Viadana before his Zebre contract came to an end in June this year.

With the SuperLiga Kaufland break nearing its end, Jelic was unveiled as one of Dinamo Bucharest’s two new signings as the club looks to secure its 18th league title, having last lifted the trophy in 2023.

Dinamo currently lead the SuperLiga Kaufland standings on 39 points, ahead of Timi?oara and Baia Mare, with five rounds remaining in the regular season.

Jelic is expected to make his official debut this weekend when Dinamo Bucharest travel to face defending champions Baia Mare.