The reigning rugby champion of Serbia, Red Star RLC is to become the first rugby club in the world to launch a fan token.

Having previously announced a technology partnership with Blocksport, one of the world’s leading blockchain providers of Fan App, Fan Tokens and NFTs for the sports, which saw the launch of the Club’s Fan App, the club will now launch their $RLK Fan Token on the fan engagement and rewards app powered by Blocksport technology on 24th March 2022, with the launch of the first 10,000 $RLK tokens.

Blocksport and Fan Tokens will create new opportunities for Red Star RLC to recognise and reward the club’s local and international fan base. Fans will also be able to access exclusive promotions and a number of other exciting upcoming features on the Fan App.

There are many benefits of becoming a Fan Token holder, some of which include discounts when purchasing various club assets based on the number of tokens they own, discounts on club merchandise, access to personalised birthday messages and additional special content delivered via Fan App, ability to exchange your $RLK tokens for limited-edition exclusive items and VIP experiences such as signed jerseys, training sessions, meet and greet, and so much more.

The first token holders will become part of a special committee on Fan App to talk directly about the Balkan Super League and the investment strategies required to build stronger clubs in our region and to get rugby on television and into the wider media.

Fan tokens have quickly risen in popularity among teams and audiences, as they offer a new way for individuals to connect with players, teams, and other fans around the world. While they originally offered mostly digital rewards, that is shifting towards a combination of both digital and real-world experiences. Owners of $RLK tokens will be offered a chance to meet team members from the past and present, and some token holders will also receive VIP tickets to watch rugby games. This is in addition to the digital rewards, and the chance to acquire voting rights in fan-focused club polls, as well as the chance to compete and test their knowledge against other fans from home and abroad in club-related games, competitions, and quizzes.

Colin Kleyweg, Managing Director of Red Star RLC, said: “These fans need more reasons to believe in us and our goals. They need to see Red Star Belgrade Rugby League in higher competition. They need to see those games on television. They need to see our junior pathways lead to a potential future for young men and women. They need to see rugby league as their new sport, as a real choice. Not a game for expats and foreigners. A sport that becomes one of ours. We have achieved so much over the past 5 years, but we are not where we want to be for the game of rugby league. We call on all fans, who joined us for any part of our journey to now mobilise together and help form Red Star Belgrade Rugby League as the “people’s team” in our sport. This is a club that listens to every fan who wants to be heard. Now is the time to hear your voice, and $RLK tokens is the new beginning of this unity and closer engagement we’d been working towards all these years. ”

Vladimir Liulka, CEO of Blocksport, said: “This partnership will create new opportunities for the club to engage with their fan base both in Serbia, the Balkans and internationally, and create new ways of fan engagement offering their fans ‘money can’t buy’ benefits and perks. We have been working with Colin and his team for some time now and seeing how far they have become (in 5 years they have won 14 trophies out of possible 18) on the pitch, we believe that they can replicate the same level of success off the pitch and in the digital space.”

Fan Token holders will be able to pick up points as they connect with other fellow fans through the app, which will unlock access to a wide range of benefits, including club merchandise and real-life experiences. At some stage in the near future, they will even have the chance to watch games as a VIP guests and to meet their heroes from the past and present. Fan Token holders have also already benefited from additional innovative digital rewards.

Blocksport, together with the Club officials, plan to meet with Red Star RLC fan groups in order to better understand the kinds of benefits, rewards and engagement fans would like to see on the app and through the Fan Token issuance and placement.

Blocksport are leading the way in blockchain in the sports industry in a different way to many of its competitors by offering the full ecosystem of blockchain technology from Fan App, to Fan Tokens and NFTs, and long term technology partnership designed to help clubs, leagues, federations and athletes massively improve their genuine fan engagement, ensure the protection and safeguarding of those fans as well as unleash the real revenue-generating opportunities that will create a win-win solution between sports entities and their biggest asset, their fan bases.

Blocksport is an innovative Technology provider providing solutions for the sports industry. The blockchain-focused Sports Tech was founded in 2019 in Zug, Switzerland. Today, the company’s flagship product serves over 40 clients globally and among them top clubs including Empoli FC, Dynamo Kyiv, OHL, Metalist, Partizan BC, Red Star RC, Cordoba PCF, ARIS BC, KMF Ekonomac, VK Partizan, to name a few.

Red Star Rugby League is a Serbian rugby league club based in Belgrade and competing in the Serbian Rugby League. Red Star Rugby League Club is member of the Red Star Sports Society. In December 2018 it was announced that the club will play in the British based knockout competition, the 2019 Challenge Cup, on the condition that matches in the first two rounds will be played away from home. Red Star Belgrade Rugby League Club has developed one of the strongest domestic rugby league clubs outside of the traditional rugby league heartlands of the game in the northern hemisphere through a combination of youth and local player development, with importing coaches and a small number of players with experience. This worked particularly well between 2018 and 2019 when Australians Jack O’Brien and Darcy Etrich and Scotland’s Sam Herron had stints with the club. The perspective of the club’s management was that overseas players would assist the development of the local players and expand their rugby league knowledge. Red Star’s future goals are to support the development of European Rugby League club competitions that are aligned with the goals of the RLEF and the Serbian Rugby League Federation.