Rugby Union of Russia unveils Bears final 30-man squad for Rugby World Cup – Rugby News
The Rugby Union of Russia (RUR) has announced Russia’s final 30-man squad for their 2011 Rugby World Cup (RWC) campaign. RUR officials have listed the squad for the Russian national Rugby Union team, also known as the Bears, in a statement released on their website on Tuesday, August 23.
Bears head coach, Nikolay Nerush, has finalised the details of the Russian squad following their recent European tour, in which they played four matches with different European clubs.
Nerush has appointed Bears experienced hooker, Vladislav Korshunov, to lead the side in their inaugural RWC appearance.
Bears final 30-man squad contains a split of the 17 forwards and 13 backs. The squad mostly consists of players playing professional Rugby for local clubs. The squad contains 13 players from the Monino based Russian professional Rugby Union club, VVA-Podmoskovye.
Besides this, the team also includes five foreign-based players. These players are Adam Byrnes, Andrey Ostrikov, Vasily Artemyev, Konstantin Rachkov and Viatcheslav Grachev.
Adam Byrnes plays for Australian Super Rugby Franchise Melbourne Rebels, while second row forward Andrey Ostrikov plays for the English professional Rugby Union side Sale Sharks. Utility back Vasily Artemyev represents Northampton Saints. The duo of Grachev and Rachkov play their rugby with French professional Rugby Union clubs.
Nerush has termed the squad as a good combination of young and experienced players. The 38-year-old Grachev is the oldest member of the squad, while the 20-year-old fullback is the youngest player in the squad.
The squad includes seven players who have made 50 or more international appearances for Russia, which includes the likes of Andrey Kuzin, Viatcheslav Grachev and Alexey Khrokin. Kuzin is just one cap away from equaling Igor Mironov's record of the most capped player for Russia.
Nerush has also handed over international debuts to two players, which includes Melbourne Rebels second row Adam Byrnes and Enisey-STM fullback Denis Simplikevich.
Russians will arrive at New Zealand on September 6. They will kick start their 2011 RWC campaign against the USA Eagles on September 15, at Stadium Taranaki, New Plymouth.
The Bears final 30-man squad for their inaugural RWC tournament consists of following players,
Forwards (17): Denis ANTONOV, Slava-ShVSM (Moscow), Vladimir BOTVINNIKOV, Enisey-STM (Krasnoyarsk), Adam BYRNES, Melbourne Rebels (Australia), Artem FATAKHOV, VVA-Podmoskovye (Monino), Andrey GARBUZOV, Krasniy Yar (Krasnoyarsk), Viatcheslav GRACHEV, Bizanos (France), Victor GRESEV, VVA-Podmoskovye (Monino), Alexander KHROKIN, VVA-Podmoskovye (Monino), Vladislav KORSHUNOV, VVA-Podmoskovye (Monino), Evgenii MATVEEV, VVA-Podmoskovye (Monino), Andrey OSTRIKOV, Sale Sharks (England), Sergey POPOV, Slava-ShVSM (Moscow), Ivan PRISHCHEPENKO, Krasniy Yar (Krasnoyarsk), Mikhail SIDOROV, Slava-ShVSM (Moscow), Alexey TRAVKIN, VVA-Podmoskovye (Monino), Valeriy TSNOBILADZE, Novokuznetsk (Novokuznetsk), Alexander VOYTOV, VVA-Podmoskovye (Monino).
Backs (13):Vasily ARTEMYEV, Northampton Saints (England), Mikhail BABAEV, VVA-Podmoskovye (Monino), Andrey BYKANOV, Slava-ShVSM (Moscow), Igor GALINOVSKIY, Krasniy Yar (Krasnoyarsk), Igor KLYUCHNIKOV, VVA-Podmoskovye (Monino), Yury KUSHNAREV, VVA-Podmoskovye (Monino), Andrey KUZIN, VVA-Podmoskovye (Monino), Alexey MAKOVETSKIY, Krasniy Yar (Krasnoyarsk), Vladimir OSTROUSHKO, Enisey-STM (Krasnoyarsk), Konstantin RACHKOV, Stade Phoceen (France), Alexander SHAKIROV, VVA-Podmoskovye (Monino), Denis SIMPLIKEVICH, Enisey-STM (Krasnoyarsk), Alexander YANYUSHKIN, VVA-Podmoskovye (Monino).
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