Rukavina started out at his local club Bežanija, making his senior debuts in the 2002–03 season, as they won promotion to the Second League of Serbia and Montenegro.

[2] Under newly appointed manager Miroslav Đukić, Rukavina immediately established himself as a first team regular, scoring three league goals from 15 appearances in the second half of the 2006–07 season.

He made his Bundesliga debut in February of the same year, playing the full 90 minutes in a 3–3 away draw at MSV Duisburg.

[5] In July 2012, Rukavina moved to Spain and signed with Valladolid, on a three-year deal, thus joining his countryman and former manager Miroslav Đukić.

[11] He was the team's first-choice right-back during the tournament, making four appearances in the process, as they finished as runners-up after losing 4–1 in the final to the Netherlands, the host nation.

In June 2018, Serbia manager Mladen Krstajić included Rukavina in the final 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.