Russia announces their 34–man squad for pre-World Cup encounter against European clubs - Rugby
The governing body, Rugby Union of Russia (RUR), has announced their shortened squad for the pre-World Cup games against European clubs. The RUR officials have announced the reduced 34–man
squad in a statement released on their website, on Friday, August 5.
Russia will play four preparations games in their upcoming tour of the United Kingdom. They will play two games against the Aviva Premiership sides, while playing their remaining two games
against the two Rabodirect Pro 12 teams.
Russia will take on the Northampton Saints in their first match of the tour on August 12. This will be followed by their August 16, encounter against the New Port Gwent Dragons side. They will
play their third match of the tour against the Ospreys on August 21, while playing their last match of the tour against the Gloucester Rugby on August 26.
Russian Rugby Union team head coach, Nikolay Nerush, is expected to name his final 30-man squad for their 2011 Rugby World Cup (RWC) campaign from the current 34–man squad. The final date set
by the RWC organizers for the teams to announce their final 30–man squad is August 22.
The squad announced on Friday comprised mostly of the players playing in the local clubs. Only five-foreign based players are named in the squad. These players are Vasily Artemyev, Andrey Ostrikov,
Viatcheslav Grachev, Konstantin Rachkov, and Adam Byrnes of the Melbourne Rebels.
Vasily Artemyev has signed with the Northampton Saints while Andrey Ostrikov plays for the Sale Sharks in the English premiership. The duo Viatcheslav Grachev and Konstantin Rachkov play their
professional rugby for French clubs.
In addition to this, Nerush has dropped the French Top 14 outfit's Casters’ lock Kirill Kulemin from the squad.
The Russian squad for their upcoming tour of the United Kingdom includes,
Denis Antonov, Slava-ShVSM (Moscow), Vasily Artemyev, Northampton Saints (England), Mikhail Babaev, VVA-Podmoskovye (Monino), Vladimir Botvinnikov, Enisey-STM (Krasnoyarsk),
Andrey Bykanov, Slava-ShVSM (Moscow), Adam Byrnes, Melbourne Rebels (Australia), Artem Fatakhov, VVA-Podmoskovye (Monino), Igor Galinovskiy, Krasniy Yar (Krasnoyarsk), Andrey Garbuzov, Krasniy
Yar (Krasnoyarsk), Viatcheslav Grachev, Bizanos (France), Victor Gresev, VVA-Podmoskovye (Monino), Alexander Khrokin, VVA-Podmoskovye (Monino), Igor Klyuchnikov, VVA-Podmoskovye (Monino), Kirill Kopeshkin, Imperia (Penza), Vladislav Korshunov, VVA-Podmoskovye
(Monino), Yury Kushnarev, VVA-Podmoskovye (Monino), Kirill Kushnarev, VVA-Podmoskovye (Monino), Andrey Kuzin, VVA-Podmoskovye (Monino), Alexey Makovetskiy, Krasniy Yar (Krasnoyarsk), Evgenii Matveev, VVA-Podmoskovye (Monino), Andrey Ostrikov, Sale Sharks (England),
Vladimir Ostroushko, Enisey-STM (Krasnoyarsk), Sergey Popov, Slava-ShVSM (Moscow), Ivan Prishchepenko, Krasniy Yar (Krasnoyarsk), Konstantin Rachkov, Stade Phoceen (France), Alexander Shakirov, VVA-Podmoskovye (Monino), Mikhail Sidorov, Slava-ShVSM (Moscow),
Sergey Sugrobov, Slava-ShVSM (Moscow), Andrey Temnov, Enisey-STM (Krasnoyarsk), Alexey Travkin, VVA-Podmoskovye (Monino), Sergey Trishin, VVA-Podmoskovye (Monino), Valeriy Tsnobiladze, Novokuznetsk (Novokuznetsk), Alexander Voytov, VVA-Podmoskovye (Monino),
Alexander Yanyushkin, VVA-Podmoskovye (Monino).
The 2011 RWC campaign will be their first appearance in the global showpiece tournament.
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