New Start for Russia Rugby League

[deluded pom?]

http://rlif.com/article/8856/new-start-for-russia-rugby-league

 

[adamkungl]

This is good news.
Better news if they get recognition back.

These days we same to be waking up to some bit of good stuff around the Rugby League world most days. Encouraging to see.

 

[Jim from Oz]

"… the sport has been played in the nation since before the Second World War."

Really? That's news to me !

AFAIK the first games of RL in Russia/USSR were in the very early 1990s !

 

[Foreign Legion]

Hopefully they can get their house in order.. update social media, start competing domestically and internationally again.

 

[deluded pom?]

"… the sport has been played in the nation since before the Second World War."

Really? That's news to me !

AFAIK the first games of RL in Russia/USSR were in the very early 1990s !

Same here. The first games were when Fulham and York went over at the request of the Russians in 1991.

 

[Taking The Two]

As a football fan too, I grew up seeing Lokomotiv Moscow in the Challenge Cup as well as the Champions League and always thought it was funny seeing them against Manchester United but in the same cup draw as Gateshead Thunder and Doncaster Dragons.

As an adult, I love travelling and seeing new places and Rugby League has allowed me to travel beyond some northern towns and see a bit more of Europe, so a possibly Saints cup game at Lokomotiv Moscow or Red Star Belgrade would be a dream.

 

[yakstorm]

They were playing before 1990 as Moscow Lokomotiv toured England in 1987, however I can't really find any evidence of playing or even interest prior to 1970... not sure where the claim came from...

 

[Perth Tiger]

Wasn't there a setup in Almaty (present Kazakhstan) around that time?

 

[yakstorm]

Wasn't there a setup in Almaty (present Kazakhstan) around that time?

There may have been, Rugby League history in the non-major nations is pretty poor pre 1990, let alone anything that far back.

For Almaty, I am aware of them attempting to join the Russian Championship a few times between 1991 and 2004, and that the GB Pioneers played Almaty Academy in 2010.

Speaking of which, wonder if the people on the ground back then are still around... the Rugby League landscape has changed a lot since even 2010... would potentially be a lot easier for the code to support League in Kazakhstan today, versus 10+ years ago only the diehard organisations like the GB SRL Pioneers would have offered any support.

 

[adamkungl]

I imagine its difficult to find any information about Rugby League in Soviet countries pre-1989 even if it was there

 

[LeagueXIII]

Interestingly one of the new board members, ex Russian captain Roman Ovchinnikov had a guest stint with Wests Tigers in 2007, brought over by the great Tim Sheens.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/wests-tigers-say-goodbye-to-russian-20070615-gdqe9d.html


Wests Tigers say goodbye to Russian

The Wests Tigers have bid farewell to their Russian import with Roman Ovchinnikov flying back to his homeland after his three-month visa expired.

Ovchinnikov played for both of the club's two Premier League outfits - Balmain Ryde Eastwood Tigers and Western Suburbs Magpies - during his short stint with the Tigers.

And while unable to break into the NRL, the club was more than happy with his development.

"We were very happy with his attitude, his English came on really well, and he developed as a player," said Tigers recruitment manager Warren McDonnell.

Ovchinnikov had caught the eye of Tim Sheens while the Tigers coach was serving as coaching director of the Russian national team last November.

 

[Green_]

Interestingly one of the new board members, ex Russian captain Roman Ovchinnikov had a guest stint with Wests Tigers in 2007, brought over by the great Tim Sheens.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/wests-tigers-say-goodbye-to-russian-20070615-gdqe9d.html


Wests Tigers say goodbye to Russian

The Wests Tigers have bid farewell to their Russian import with Roman Ovchinnikov flying back to his homeland after his three-month visa expired.

Ovchinnikov played for both of the club's two Premier League outfits - Balmain Ryde Eastwood Tigers and Western Suburbs Magpies - during his short stint with the Tigers.

And while unable to break into the NRL, the club was more than happy with his development.

"We were very happy with his attitude, his English came on really well, and he developed as a player," said Tigers recruitment manager Warren McDonnell.

Ovchinnikov had caught the eye of Tim Sheens while the Tigers coach was serving as coaching director of the Russian national team last November.

Baffles me as to why NRL clubs do not have more of this. Free reign of an entire country to scout talent.

 

[LeagueXIII]

Very true. Unbelievably the AFL do, they have an overseas quota. However the idiots running our game only see value in something that they can make a profit from.