Russia

[jim]

I really hope what you heard about Kazan is right Dan. There is a very strong possibility that it has I think because Strela beat Lokomotiv.

If it is true than it could break the slide RRL has been in for years. I'm sure Khlebanov would not like his team being beaten and may just up the effort in making his team the best, in turn the Strela boss can do the same. If a rival backer hangs around sooner or later we could see good coaches and players filtering to Russia because these two would want their teams to be on top. If they form a good rivallry other potential backers could take interest and put $ into a club.

[Marv]

Sept 11, 2008 20:39:35 GMT 10 jim said:

I really hope what you heard about Kazan is right Dan. There is a very strong possibility that it has I think because Strela beat Lokomotiv.

If it is true than it could break the slide RRL has been in for years. I'm sure Khlebanov would not like his team being beaten and may just up the effort in making his team the best, in turn the Strela boss can do the same. If a rival backer hangs around sooner or later we could see good coaches and players filtering to Russia because these two would want their teams to be on top. If they form a good rivallry other potential backers could take interest and put $ into a club.

It will be interesting to see how things go in the Russian championship in the near future, Im with you jim, very unusual that Loko have been beaten.

[jim]

Sept 11, 2008 21:05:15 GMT 10 Marv said:

Sept 11, 2008 20:39:35 GMT 10 jim said:

I really hope what you heard about Kazan is right Dan. There is a very strong possibility that it has I think because Strela beat Lokomotiv.

If it is true than it could break the slide RRL has been in for years. I'm sure Khlebanov would not like his team being beaten and may just up the effort in making his team the best, in turn the Strela boss can do the same. If a rival backer hangs around sooner or later we could see good coaches and players filtering to Russia because these two would want their teams to be on top. If they form a good rivallry other potential backers could take interest and put $ into a club.

It will be interesting to see how things go in the Russian championship in the near future, Im with you jim, very unusual that Loko have been beaten.

Let's hope this is a start of better times for Russian Rugby League. I would love to see them get their domestic comp together and soon enough we could start seeing russian SL players and a fairly strong international team.

[Druzik]

Sept 11, 2008 19:19:20 GMT 10 Marv said:

Sept 11, 2008 19:06:20 GMT 10 Druzik said:

The thing with russia is that yes one team is stacked, but if it wasnt the other teams could not afford to keep them, they would most probably be lost to Union in Russia which still has a significant presence.

Good point, but do they sit with one decent club thats never going to get better with a very slim chance of SL or do they give up, there not going anywhere.....



well id ont see why players should have to do that, you wouldnt offer your scientific services for free to a third world country, just to help them out.

The players have a career to make, maybe ex-players yeah but evwn then these guys need to work too

Sept 11, 2008 19:06:20 GMT 10 Druzik said:

Also Remember Klebanov was the one trying to get Tim Sheens to come coach russi for the WC. I think things are much more complicated than we see on the surface. I have sealised this now... another layer to add to understanding the great sport.

this is a good point, nothing is ever straight forward in russia it seems

Points take, must be ERC then I am thinking of.

[Druzik]

Sept 11, 2008 19:19:20 GMT 10 Marv said:

Sept 11, 2008 19:06:20 GMT 10 Druzik said:

The thing with russia is that yes one team is stacked, but if it wasnt the other teams could not afford to keep them, they would most probably be lost to Union in Russia which still has a significant presence.

Good point, but do they sit with one decent club thats never going to get better with a very slim chance of SL or do they give up, there not going anywhere.....

Yes this is always the dilema... They seem to be continuing in the hope that something comes of it... Russians are Hardy peoples they can take a lot of beating and still come out on top.

Marv said:

well id ont see why players should have to do that, you wouldnt offer your scientific services for free to a third world country, just to help them out.

The players have a career to make, maybe ex-players yeah but evwn then these guys need to work too

sometimes we do actuall. But its not the point... I think that some players should maybe make some noise to help promote these countries. OK maybe not do things for free, but say to a club like Loko or Vereya who are semi pro- I'll come over for a few months and play for you for somew fee, show you the ropes help you out in some way.

marv said:

Sept 11, 2008 19:06:20 GMT 10 druzik" said:

Also Remember Klebanov was the one trying to get Tim Sheens to come coach russi for the WC. I think things are much more complicated than we see on the surface. I have sealised this now... another layer to add to understanding the great sport.

this is a good point, nothing is ever straight forward in russia it seems

Nope it isn't.

[Marv]

Sept 11, 2008 21:28:29 GMT 10 Druzik said:

Yes this is always the dilema... They seem to be continuing in the hope that something comes of it... Russians are Hardy peoples they can take a lot of beating and still come out on top.

well thats one thing russia have had some hammerings ogver the years but they must love the game because they keep coming back for more.

Sept 11, 2008 21:28:29 GMT 10 Druzik said:

sometimes we do actuall. But its not the point.

really? you give up your own time and dont get paid for it?

Sept 11, 2008 21:28:29 GMT 10 Druzik said:

I think that some players should maybe make some noise to help promote these countries. OK maybe not do things for free, but say to a club like Loko or Vereya who are semi pro- I'll come over for a few months and play for you for somew fee, show you the ropes help you out in some way.

I would agree, this leads us back to if there was an independant body to oversee IRL then the funds created from the WC/Tri Nations/NRL/SL could be used to develop the game

[Marv]

Sept 11, 2008 21:09:23 GMT 10 jim said:

Let's hope this is a start of better times for Russian Rugby League. I would love to see them get their domestic comp together and soon enough we could start seeing russian SL players and a fairly strong international team.

Lets hope so,I think if they get a stronger domestic comp then in turn the National team will then get better and in turn the world might take more notice but ATM I think its fair to say as long as Russia are getting 60 put on them by Leb/Ireland then not too many people will take notice of even the best russian players

[Druzik]

Anyone know if the Russia v USA match went ahead? I have not been able to find anything to do with it except on the vereya site.

[Marv]

Sept 18, 2008 18:05:29 GMT 10 Druzik said:

Anyone know if the Russia v USA match went ahead? I have not been able to find anything to do with it except on the vereya site.

when was this supposed to happen?

[Druzik]

Last weekend.

[Spider]

I'll ask Russians tomorrow about that, but I think that match was not played.

[crimpo]

Ah Russian RL! Historical facts are very hard to come by and impossible to verify or otherwise!

The famous 25,000 crowd for Russia v USA was on the 13 September 2002 and the 'Victory Cup' commemorated the nations' role in World War II. The crowd figure was boosted by huge publicity and being part of wider commemorations. I've elsewhere seen the crowd figure as 20,000 but there's no doubt that it was in that ballpark. The game was the brainchild of a Russian millionaire - but at the time Russian RL had two millionaires running Moscow clubs and a very talented outfit in Kazan who could give them a run for their money.

The following year the Victory Cup also included BARLA and France. The USA fixture drew 2,000 and the final against France drew 10,000.

In 2004 the Victory Cup had its last hurrah! The Ireland Wolfhounds and the NZ Defence Forces made it a 6-team tournament. The final, Russia v BARLA, drew 22170 fans.

And then the you know what hit the fan. Our two Moscow millionaires had a mighty falling out. One took his ball home and his side into RU. Since he was the guy who organized and funded the Victory Cup that was that. Whose fault was the split - I have no idea.

Since then the Russian RL has been a very one-sided affair as the remaining millionaire has backed his side Lokomotive and really has had no meaningful competition. The result for standards in Russian RL has been obvious. However, to his credit, said millionaire has kept the competition going. Had he taken his ball home then that would have been that for the national league.

IF we now have a second millionaire involved and one based in the other key talent location of Kazan then that would be VERY good news for Russian RL. The competition will drive up standards and that will feed through into the national side.

The next couple of years will tell us much and will enable us to get a better idea regarding Mr Khlebanov and perhaps also of events in 2005. Hopefully, he knows that competition is a good thing and far preferable to running a one-man band which was really going nowhere.

The jury is out - but things look a lot more promising than they did at the start of the season!

[jim]

Could be great things to come if the 2nd backer does arrise, seems awful strange that Kazan could beat Loko without some changes happening mid-season. Like Crimpo says would also be an advantage having 2 competitive teams from 2 different cities, and Vereya are still reasonably competitive aswell.

[Ryan N]

Sept 27, 2008 14:06:38 GMT 10 jim said:

Could be great things to come if the 2nd backer does arrise, seems awful strange that Kazan could beat Loko without some changes happening mid-season. Like Crimpo says would also be an advantage having 2 competitive teams from 2 different cities, and Vereya are still reasonably competitive aswell.

Yeah. Well you can't just have backers of teams. Something needs to happen with the RRL competition. A major backer, sponsors and it should be promoted big time. That can only help show other millionaires that there is potential for something to be made of League. Russia and the USA are both going to have to step up soon they are the next two nations with the potential to beat the top 3 within the next 10 years.

[Marv]

Sept 28, 2008 13:51:04 GMT 10 Ryan N said:

Yeah. Well you can't just have backers of teams. Something needs to happen with the RRL competition. A major backer, sponsors and it should be promoted big time. That can only help show other millionaires that there is potential for something to be made of League. Russia and the USA are both going to have to step up soon they are the next two nations with the potential to beat the top 3 within the next 10 years.

I agree Ryan, with backers at the end of the day the same thing can happen again, the guy just pulls hes money out and fucks off, with sound sponsorship over a peroid of years the RRL can cut its cloth accordingly