Winter return match against OB Hungary: evenly matched, with a winning finish for Old Boys Praha

The 2026 season started unusually early for Old Boys Praha. Taking advantage of the excellent facilities of RC Sparta Praha’s inflatable hall, on 24.1.2026 OBP challenged Old Boys Hungary to a season opener – the team they had played in Budapest in spring 2025, bringing home a narrow 10:5 win. OBP took the field with a slightly depleted line-up: Jirka Vlček and Michal Jůna were missing through injury, and captain Vláďa Pošík also had to miss the match because of a holiday. Before the game he handed the captain’s armband to Ondra Malina, who rose to the role and in the end led his team to a 30:10 victory.

The ceremonial kick-off at 17:00 was performed with honour by Ms Tatiana Notinová of the Liszt Institute, which together with the Hungarian Embassy had taken the match under its patronage. The match started at a fierce pace, and the first half in particular was full of hard tackles and total commitment. At the start the opposition had a slight edge, but after a few minutes the sides were level: OBP always had a timely answer to every try the visitors scored, touching down one of their own, and never let the opposition pull away. The very even, hard-fought first half ended 10:10. Our first try was scored by Petr Nakládal, who loyally supported Petr Sudek on his powerful break across half the pitch and finally took the ball from him and scored. The equalising try came near the end of the half from Tomáš Vémola, after the usual steady pressure from the pack. In the second half OBP did start to get on top, helped by their fleet-footed foreign reinforcements, and towards the end the opposition’s Friday night out in Prague probably told on the score. The pair Bongartz and Mann were very active; the former eventually added another try, and Petr Sudek, Kuba Servít and Jan Vilimovský gradually joined the scoring too. Despite the seemingly clear-cut final score of 30:10, the second half was anything but one-sided. Our opponents kept fighting and kept threatening in attack, and above all it was timely, well-executed tackling that secured the final result. Thanks also to all the spectators, who came in large numbers and backed OBP all the way.

The third half took place in our clubhouse at the U Balbínů Pod Kaštany restaurant, where dinner and a buffet were laid on for everyone all evening. During the evening the match was officially closed, souvenirs were exchanged, prizes were handed out to the oldest and youngest players, and the Hungarian team also presented a prize for OBP’s worst player, which went to Petr Nakládal thanks to a warning from the referee. Petr is sure to enjoy the classic St Nicholas prize – a sack of potatoes. Congratulations. The rest of the evening passed in a really very friendly atmosphere, with players from both teams gathering in small groups to chat. The great atmosphere was rounded off by a singing contest between the two teams, dominated by the Hungarian team’s performances. In this respect OBP’s performances still need some work.

Finally, we would like to thank the restaurant staff for the plentiful, tasty food and the service. Thanks also go to Pišta and Viktor for looking after our Hungarian opponents, and to Honza Vilimovský and Gumba for designing and making a cracking poster. Special thanks go to the Hungarian Embassy – the Liszt Institute, which held the patronage of this event and contributed a gift of Tokaji to make the whole occasion so pleasant.