[4] Raised in Videm pri Ptuju, Vugrinec began playing handball in the nearby Ptuj and remained there until 1997 when he transferred to Slovenian club Celje.

In late 1990s and early 2000s Celje was regarded as one of the teams who formed the European club handball elite and they were regularly qualifying among the top four in the EHF Champions League.

During the 2003–04 season Celje won the EHF Champions League after they have defeated the German side Flensburg in a two-legged final.

[5] Vugrinec was one of the most important players for his club during the course of the 2003–04 Champions league campaign finishing the competition on ninth place among scorers with 58 goals, including ten which he scored in a two-legged final.

In 2006 he moved to top Spanish side San Antonio but left the financial troubled club after only one season when he returned to Celje.