RK Kvarner

RK Kvarner Rijeka (Rukometni Klub Kvarner Rijeka) was a handball club from Rijeka, Croatia, formed in 1963. It was later incorporated into Kvarner Kostrena.

RK Kvarner
The club was founded 27 February 1963, as RK Kvarner. The first ever players of Kvarner were: Simeon Kosanović, Zvonko Ugrin, Slobodan Petković, Vladimir Babić, Josip Božić, Jerolim Ostojić, Marijan Lučić, Davor Amančić, Marijan Glavan, Perica Vukičević and Ivan Munitić alongside coach Eduard Domazet. The initiators where: Đuro Blim, Nikola Mikuličić, Eduard Domazet, Mladen Kopajtić, Ivo Kreculj, Branko Komljenović, Petar Grabovac, Petar Orgulić and Rajko Plivečić.



During the first ten year of the club moved up the ranks from Regional leagues to the Yugoslav First League. During their time in the First league Kvarner's coach was Vlado Stenzel who was at the time also the Yugoslavian national team coach. Stenzel's presence saw players like Zdenko Hibšer, Vlado Vukoje, Roberto Sošić and Zdravko Rađenović playing for Kvarner. These years where the highlight of Kvarner's history as they played in the Yugoslav first league. Kvarner was the first handball club in Rijeka to enter the first league. In 1969 and 1970 Kvarner was the champion of Croatia.

In 1973 Kvarner was relegated to the Second league with most of its players transferring to other clubs. The club bounced back to the First league the following season with mostly young player in the squad. These players where: Ivica Rimanić, Boris Komucki, Jurica Lakić,...

Kvarner dominated Zamet until 1977 when Zamet started to rise thru the ranks of Yugoslav handball.

Kvarner Zamet rivalry
During the 1960s a city rivalry came between RK Kvarner and RK Zamet the city's best handball clubs. Due to a lot of players moving throughout both clubs the rivalry became more serious. After nearly five years of intense matches finally in 1981 Kvarner signed defeat and gave Zamet the title of the best handball club in Rijeka. Kvarner also gave Zamet three of their best players: Boris Škara, Damir Čavlović and Drago Žiljak.

In later years Kvarner was no match for Zamet and they mostly played friendly matches since they weren't in the same league.

Hard times and financial troubles
During the 1980s Kvarner struggled eventually being relegated to regional leagues. In 1982 Kvarner was supposed to fuse with club Kozala forming RK Rijeka, but the fusing never happened. This later proved to be a big mistake. At the end of the decade Kvarner lost their dressing room to the basketball team of Kvarner. Not being able to live up to their previous results Kvarner stayed a low level club until the end of the Yugoslavian league.

With little progress made in the Croatian league in 1996 former players of the club came out of retirement, started playing for the club and eventually made it to the second division the 1.B HRL.

Kvarner Kostrena
In 2001 Marko Kosanović took over as president of the club who reinstated the club in the 3. HRL – West after nearly three years of absence. After entering 2. HRL – West the club move to Kostrena where they played in a newly built venue SD Kostrena and changed the club's name to Kvarner Kostrena. With many former players managing the club it survived for ten years playing in the third tier of Croatian handball. In 2011 due to financial problems Kvarner Kostrena dismantled their senior team wanting to focus more on their youth academy.

Two years later in February 2013 Kvarner Kostrena announced the club would be closing

Venue
From the 1960s during the end of the 1980s Kvarner played on the court of Economics high school. For about a decade they used venues around Rijeka such as Dvorana Mladosti and Dvorana Kozala.

In 2003 they moved to Kostrena in newly built venue SD Kostrena (Sportska Dvorana Kostrena).

Honours
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Yugoslavia

 * Yugoslav Second League – West (1): 1974–75
 * Croatian Handball Champion (2): 1969, 1970
 * Croatian Unique League (1): 1969–70
 * Regional League of Primorje and Istra (3): 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69
 * Regional League of Rijeka and Karlovac (2): 1963–64, 1966–67
 * Regional League of Croatia (primorje) (1): 1964–65

Croatia

 * 2.HRL – West (2): 1993–94, 1997–98
 * 3.HRL – West (2): 1996–97, 2002–03

Friendly tournaments

 * Republic day & youth day tournament (1): 1965


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Youth

 * Yugoslav U-21 Championship Third (2): 1973, 1976
 * Croatian U-21 Championship (2): 1975, 1979
 * Croatian U-23 Championship (1): 1979
 * Memorial Zvonimir Škerl (1): 2002

Veterans

 * 18th memorial veterans tournament (1): 2012
 * Memorial Zvonimir Škerl (1): 1997


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Notable former players
* Marijan Glavan
 * Simeon Kosanović
 * Željko Kosanović
 * Perica Vukičević
 * Ivan Munitić
 * Božidar Peter
 * Zdenko Hibšer
 * Roberto Sošić
 * Vlado Vukoje
 * Darko Drobina
 * Zdravko Rađenović
 * Ratko Gobo
 * Boris Komucki
 * Jurica Lakić
 * Boris Milevoj
 * Franko Mileta
 * Vjekoslav Mitrović
 * Ivica Pezelj
 * Marijan Seđak
 * Goran Turkalj
 * Ivica Rimanić
 * Stipe Crnković
 * Drago Žiljak
 * Tomislav Kruljac
 * Marko Kosanović
 * Damir Čavlović
 * Tomislav Čavlović
 * Dragan Straga
 * Dubravko Konjuh
 * Darko Srdoč
 * Branko Crnković
 * Stipe Crnković
 * Mićo Bjelovuk
 * Alfred Franković
 * Branko Milošević
 * Duško Milošević
 * Robert Živković
 * Milan Uzelac
 * Adnan Kamberović
 * Dalibor Prokopić
 * Nikola Kosanović
 * Josip Crnić
 * Filip Briški
 * Antonio Pribanić

Coaches

 * 1963 – Eduard Domazet
 * 1963–1965 – Romeo Frnić
 * 1965–1966 – Božidar Peter
 * 1966–1967 – Josip Božić
 * 1967–1970 – Božidar Peter
 * 1970–1973 – Vlado Stenzel
 * 1973–1975 – Ivan Munitić
 * 1975 – Jurica Lakić
 * 1975–1978 – Božidar Peter
 * 1978–1979 – Ivan Munitić
 * 1979–1980 – Božidar Peter
 * 1980–1982 – Marijan Seđak
 * 1982–1983 – Ivica Pezelj
 * 1983–1988 – Bojan Skomina
 * 1988–1989 – Branimir Čutić
 * 1989–1992 – Zvonko Ugrin
 * 1992–1993 – Duško Milošević
 * 1993–1994 – Zdenko Hibšer, Duško Milošević & Marko Kosanović
 * 1994–1995 – Marko Kosanović
 * 1995–1999 – Josip Božić
 * 2001–2002 – Esad Subašić & Damir Čavlović
 * 2002 – Esad Subašić
 * 2003–2007 – Ivan Munitić
 * 2008–2009 – Mladen Prskalo
 * 2009–2011 – Drago Žiljak
 * 2011–2012 – Ivan Munitić

Presidents

 * 1963–1965 – Đuro Blim
 * 1965 – Nedjeljko Funduk
 * 1965 – Igor Štefanović
 * 1965–1969 – Ivo Baretić
 * 1969–1971 – Nikola Mikuličić
 * 1971–1974 – Nikola Samardžija
 * 1974–1977 – Ivan Oštarić
 * 1977–1979 – Ivan Pilepić
 * 1979–1982 – Rade Škorić
 * 1982–1986 – Dean Baki
 * 1986–1988 – Branko Rumora
 * 1988–1990 – Graciano Vorić
 * 1990–1992 – Edi Franković
 * 1992–1996 – Jurica Vukić
 * 1996–2000 – Vladimir Cipović
 * 2001–2008 – Marko Kosanović
 * 2008–2013 – Nikola Kosanović