Rugby the winner in unlikely host nation Russia

To the purist, the Russian capital of Moscow might seem like an odd pick as host for the IRB Rugby World Cup Sevens.

But the International Rugby Board (IRB), the sport's governing body, reckon they are in a win-win situation by having chosen Moscow as host for the four-yearly tournament, with the sport to also appear at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Russia stands 19th in IRB world rankings for the 15-a-side game and numbers some 30,000 players, with a professional domestic competition.

Despite going through rough times during Empire days and the Soviet period, the first "official" match taking place in Moscow in 1923 and the first Soviet Championship launched in 1936.

That was the same year exiled Russian Prince Alexander Obolensky made history by streaking away for two tries on his England debut against New Zealand.

Darker days were to follow when rugby union was outlawed in the late 1940s during the "fight against the cosmopolitanism".

The Soviet Championship was only resumed in 1966, with the national team debuting in 1975, all the time battling with the more popular sports of football, ice hockey and athletics.

"We're taking rugby to a non-traditional market, which is always great for development and interest, it's very exciting for us," IRB chief executive officer Brett Gosper told AFP.

"The sevens games in Russia is now on the school curriculum because it's an Olympic sport, so there's a huge interest and growth in the game and you'll see that in the level played by Russian teams, both men and women, which has come on in recent years."

Gosper added: "Hosting of Rugby World Cup Sevens 2013 in Moscow marks a significant milestone in the ongoing growth of rugby here in Russia and around the world.

"For the IRB and for the Rugby Union of Russia, it is the opportunity to break new frontiers and reach out and engage new audiences, new players, new nations that makes Russia so appealing."

Vasily Artemyev, the Ireland-educated Russian winger who currently plays for English Premiership club Northampton, said he hope there would be a knock-on effect in the run up to the Olympics.

"I expect huge things to come after this tournament. The legacy will be huge," Artemyev said.

IRB chief Bernard Lapasset said Russia's history as an Olympic powerhouse would take rugby to new heights in the country.

"Rugby is a sport of strong character-building values and it resonates with the Russian people," Lapasset said.

"Russia is one of the top Olympic nations and so with rugby now back on the Olympic Games programme, awareness of the sport is definitely growing."

 

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