Russian rugby league at crisis point
Roar Pro
By Harry Kimble, 15 Mar 2010 Harry Kimble is a Roar Pro
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Tas Baitieri, the international rugby league development manager, has been in Moscow to hold a meeting regarding the dire straits that Russian rugby league finds itself.
In the past 12 months, RL Russia has dramatically reduced its international activities. It did not sent a team to the Military World Cup 2008 in Australia, did not send a side to Serbia as intended, and did not participate in the European Nations Cup of 2009.
Outlining his plans, he wants Russia to field a side in the following tournaments: the 2010 Euro Shield, 2011 World Cup Qualification Games, 2012 Women’s World Cup in England and the International 9s in Samoa.
At the meeting, Baitieri is quoted as saying, “You all are responsible for the way the game is played and progresses in Russia and unless we work together to achieve this, it will surely disappear. The sport is too good a game for the many participants that play and wonderful to watch.”
This may be fine for the international scene but there are horrible events in Russia itself which could cause the game to implode. There were dramatic implications for the game in Russia when Rugby Sevens was admitted to the Olympic Games and saw several clubs, including the champions for the past eight years, Locomotive, and the highly rated Kazan Arrows switch to rugby union.
Alexander Denisov, director of the FRLR, announced that in an order dated 20 January 2010, the Ministry of Sport excluded league from the state register of sports in Russia. This is a huge setback to the code.
Now, a problem from within has arisen. In 1991, Edgard Taturian, coach of the Soviet Rugby team, with his journalist son, Igor, split from the established rugby union game and took some teams to found the Russian rugby league. The game grew and became entrenched as the Russian Rugby League Federation.
After the turmoil of the FRLR losing clubs and players this year, the same Edgard Taturian has again caused a split, this time with the Rugby League Federation, to form an Association of Rugby League Clubs. He has already indicated that the following clubs have joined his association: Nevsky Gate, Vereyskaya Bears, Thrashers, North Moscow, Nara, Otradnoe and Spartak-Losinka.
His aim is to get his the sport re-registered by the sports ministry and his association as the controlling body.
So far, the FRLR has not announced the teams that will be playing in their 2010 season.
A Russian once said to me “that when you have one Russian, you have peace, but with two, you have revolution”.
It appears this is the case at the moment with rugby league in Russia but there are a group who are fighting to stop the total collapse of the game.
Depicted are Tas Baitieri, International Rugby League development manager and Julia Bennison, East European co-ordinator for the RLEF outside the television station NTV-PLUS
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Andre Gusev said | March 15th 2010 @ 7:28am | Report comment
sad for league, but good to see locomotiv, one of the oldest rugby clubs in russia, back playing rugby
oikee said | March 15th 2010 @ 7:36am | Report comment
Care factor about russian rugby league and rugby union = zero. Russian rugby league was on the road to nowhere always with Locomotive buying the best players and destroying any chance of rugby league being a competitive game.
Might do better starting from scratch. They will be better suited to union.
Rod said | March 15th 2010 @ 8:20am | Report comment
I agree oikee, RL is better off without Loco as you said they took the best and killed the rest.
How can a sport go forward when one team is battering all others 100 nill each week for 15 years?
There’s still a lot of RL teams over there, I just hope they stop fighting for control, pull their fingers out and work for the betterment of the sport as a whole instead of trying to get oneupmanship on each other.
As for RU, couldn’t care less what they are doing over there, let them play their own game, I follow RL.
Crosscoder said | March 15th 2010 @ 8:12am | Report comment
Rebuild the game,is the only way from grassroots up.When you have conflicting interests involved the code is on a one way track to nowhere .Ply the officials with a few vodkas and that may knock some sense into them.United they stand ,divided they slip into oblivion.They have juniors involved concentrate on them first.Agree with Oikee’s comments.
Rodney McDonell said | March 15th 2010 @ 8:19am | Report comment
Harry Kimble, it is inflametory, derogitory and down right wrong to write “the same Edgard Taturian has again caused a split,”. I would ask that you rewrite that section – Get your facts straight.
Edgar is a Hero to the Rugby League community in Russia. Know one has worked harder than Edgar to drive his sport forward. Unforunately for far too long, the game of Russia has been in the hands of people who did not have it’s best interests at heart. Edgar is doing his best to keep his Nation from sinking to the depths of rugby league.
You do not know what you are talking about. There is no split. The Russian Rugby League Federation ceased to exist and so the Assocation of Rugby League clubs was formed.
Harry Kimble said | March 15th 2010 @ 1:08pm | Report comment
Rodney,
My article is not “inflametory, derogitory and down right wrong to write “the same Edgard Taturian has again caused a split,”. it is purely stating a fact. Edgard and Igor Taturian split from the Sovier Rugby Union in 1991 because they wanted professional rugby and Rugby was amateur at that time. They wanted to form an Association of the Oval Ball, which originally was to include Aussie rules (but this did not eventuate). From the split, he gained a lot of support and rtgby league eas founded in Russia which eventually became the Russian Rugbilig Federation.
He has again split from the federation because he is dissatisfied the way it is being run. That is his perogative and is not derogatory at all. It is up to the community as to whether he is successful or not.
The RLFR is still in existence and held its AGM on 5th February and in the process of restructuring with the help of the RLEF.
Big Al said | March 15th 2010 @ 8:59am | Report comment
Let’s put Russian League in context. Even at it’s height it was tiny compared to Union. Secondly, most of the League clubs stole talent, players and clubs from Union in the first place. The foundations of the game were fake and based on deception and lies. Now that Russians have woken up to the fact that Union is by far the bigger of the two codes and has Olympic status why would any government have anything to do with league? Union’s Olympic status is the death knell for any aspirations league had of expanding. League is a dead sport – this from the Chairman of the International Rugby Board, Bernard Lappaset: “We firmly believe that there are meaningful opportunities ahead and indeed have already witnessed positive results since October 2009 such as in Russia, where Rugby programmes are being developed within schools and across the country, and in China and Brazil where development programmes are being launched.” League just doesn’t have the credibility to expand or remain in Russia or other new markets. If you were a govt official and had to chose between the two codes you would chose Union any day because its an Olympic and Commonwealth Games sport and is globally about 500 bigger than league. This story is just a sign of the times for league – a game that will be dead outside Sydney and Brisbane in about a decade, The stories about league in the international arena are designed to get league supporters believing their game actually exists outside Sydney or Brisbane, when in actual fact it doesn’t. International league is all lies and deception – if you can’t see that, then you are kidding yourself.
Rod said | March 15th 2010 @ 9:30am | Report comment
Can any of you union fans change the record, it’s becoming annoying.
Every time RL starts up somewhere, it’s because RL stole everything from Union, what a heap of garbage, the only code to steal from the other so far is union.
Face the Facts said | March 15th 2010 @ 11:11am | Report comment
Time to Face the Facts – union is massive globally. it continues to grow into untapped markets. Russia is a prime example. i love RL. however, we must recognise that global expansion is pointless. we should keep to our heartlands
hutch said | March 15th 2010 @ 8:52pm | Report comment
to face the facts, the game is growing around the world, there is no need to keep comparing our sport or its growth to rugby union. we are doing our own thing, i dont see the same comparisons being made of rugby union to soccer, which is the only true world game (as the soccer fans like to remind us). you say you love rugby league, you seem like the type of person who would like to see melbourne, the warriors, even the broncos out of the nrl, and to change the name to nswrl and bring back glebe, newtown and annandale! its time to get with the times, we will continue to grow and expand as a sport, we have to!
Maddog said | March 16th 2010 @ 8:56am | Report comment
Boo hoo Rod…you seem happy to dish it out but not happy to accept it. Toughen up.
No RL in Russia…this seems to be the final deathnell for the sport. Time to pack up your Steeden’s boys and go home.
Rod said | March 16th 2010 @ 9:15am | Report comment
What are you going on about mate?
Where have I gone into union threads and destroyed them like you blokes have here?
Shodan said | March 15th 2010 @ 10:51am | Report comment
And you are kidding yourself if you believe that unions a truly an international game. Last time I checked is wasn’t even in the top ten global sports. I’m not saying league is bigger (but better, Yes), it just that Union hasn’t got the world wide global empire that their fans would like us to believe it has.
The Link said | March 15th 2010 @ 11:06am | Report comment
Big Al, if you lie, it just crushes anything you are trying to achieve in posting
“supporters believing their game actually exists outside Sydney or Brisbane, when in actual fact it doesn’t ”
What garbage.
Dave said | March 15th 2010 @ 12:49pm | Report comment
An where do you check for this top ten global sports ? Its not from the rugby league forums is it ?
John Ryan said | March 15th 2010 @ 2:26pm | Report comment
Not out of the AFL ones either and thats if anyone cares outside of the Southern states
Realist said | March 31st 2010 @ 3:04pm | Report comment
Big Al,
Are you saying that the Papua New Guineans don’t play rugby league?
Zac Zavos said | March 15th 2010 @ 9:51am | Report comment
A reminder to all that this article is not an excuse for a code war thread. Please focus on the article, not whose code is better than whose.
Rod said | March 15th 2010 @ 9:55am | Report comment
Not a problem
Anon said | March 16th 2010 @ 6:56am | Report comment
Is anyone going to come along and clean this thread up? Too many Union guys who can’t help but give there 2 cents worth with most of it unrelated to the topic at hand.
MyGeneration said | March 16th 2010 @ 11:32am | Report comment
Seems to have fallen on deaf ears, Zac. Some people see every thread as an opportunity for code war and, in this case, schadenfreude. Pity this is what happens to an informative, honest article.
M1tch said | March 15th 2010 @ 9:56am | Report comment
A major investigation is needed for whats happened in Russia, from the highs of 25 000 for a russia v usa game to the shambles they are in now is a disgrace and a blight on the International body.
Rod said | March 15th 2010 @ 10:15am | Report comment
Too many people with agendas looking after themselves instead of looking after the game.
Sad that this seems to happen to RL in a few places.
Dave said | March 15th 2010 @ 12:53pm | Report comment
The 25,000 crowd was free for all . But if what most league fans says on here about their sport then those 25,000 Russians should have come back with their mates, families and neigbours because when you watch rugby league you will be an instant convert because its fast, exciting and played by supermen.
Springs said | March 15th 2010 @ 2:05pm | Report comment
And how the hell do you know that Dave? Talk to every one of the 25,000 people?
Rod said | March 15th 2010 @ 2:18pm | Report comment
Yeah he did, he was the Russian coach.
oikee said | March 15th 2010 @ 2:19pm | Report comment
I heard that Cauli-flower ears and ugly blokes with a blond on each arm is coming back into fashion in Russia.
JK said | March 15th 2010 @ 2:29pm | Report comment
Is that having a dig at Rugby or League or Blondes ?
M1tch said | March 15th 2010 @ 2:30pm | Report comment
yawn Dave yawn
Realist said | March 31st 2010 @ 3:10pm | Report comment
Crap! An article from the BBC said 26,000 tickets were sold for it and, that 40,000 were expected.
“A crowd of 16,000 watched the local team play a British students side last year.
Russia are keen to take on the world’s best
And on Friday the US will play a full Russian team in Moscow with a crowd of 40,000 expected – 26,000 tickets have already been sold.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_league/2252450.stm
Sam said | March 15th 2010 @ 10:44am | Report comment
The Russian rugby team has qualified for the Rugby World Cup for the first time in 2011. Plus with with Rugby Sevens in the Olympics and the Russian Govts support for all sports Olympic mean rugby league is going to have to make sure it does everything right in order to survive. I don’t know anything about this split in the administration of the game in Russia, but surely anything but a co-ordinated, unified approach to administering the game is going to hurt the game. I do wonder what the IRLF can do. I read today that a Russian rugby union club side (that includes a few international players) is being hosted by the Crusaders in Christchurch this season for a few weeks, and will play some local club teams. I wonder if some NRL teams would consider doing the same thing?
oikee said | March 15th 2010 @ 11:45am | Report comment
Nobody worried about russian rugby league before now, why should we bother now.? Look, to be honest, if rugby league stole union players in russia, they are hopeless. I think rugby league is better off trying to crack the America market. You have better athletes who are designed to play league.
Super league and the NRL are now being broadcast into america. Lets see how we go with development in America.
The trouble with the NRL at the moment is the product.? Its so good that rival nations are worried about there own product, and being over-run by the NRL. Even in England and Europe they are scared the product will displace there local comps for popularity. This includes the super league. Which is something we dont want to happen.
Face the Facts said | March 15th 2010 @ 11:49am | Report comment
Oikee is right about the American market. lets concentrate on the US and leave the commies to the ruggers. whats the latest with Spike TV?
True Tah said | March 15th 2010 @ 11:53am | Report comment
oikee
the point being made is that Russia was probably the one country on earth outside of Australia and PNG where rugby league was a bigger sport than rugby union, although both sports are pretty small in Russa relative to ice hockey and futbol. That has now changed, and with Sevens becoming and Olympic sport and Russia qualifying for the 2011 world cup in NZ, is unlikely to be reversed in the future.
oikee said | March 15th 2010 @ 12:18pm | Report comment
TT,, I said the other day that union is welcome to russia.
I dont think russia is sutible for rugby league. Not only this, rugby league is better served spending money in the countries that already follow league. (France, PNG, Pacific Islands) Why add russia to our worries, if and when they are ready, they can grow again if they wish. I would prefer to see a American team in our world cup, rather than a russian team. I think we will waste to much effort with russia. We are better placed in America where we are on a level playing feild.
The only talent to watch out for in russia should come from union 7″s. Like i said, the NRL push should come from world-wide coverage from t/v deals. The more we make, the easier it is to buy the best talent from union 7″s.
This might sound greedy, but lets face it, this is what french top 14 is doing at the moment, unlimited salary cap to invite the best players. Rugby league nrl should do this and aim to be the best comp world-wide. Rugby union is trying to buy its way into the world market, rugby league needs to follow suite or perish.
Sam said | March 15th 2010 @ 12:23pm | Report comment
You don’t think Russia is suitable to rugby league? What kind of comment is that? I think you are empire building a little with most of that post. How about focus on the next couple of years rather then some pie in the sky “lets be like the Top 14 without a salary cap” dream. I mean no wonder RL in Russia is in trouble. If your dream is really a big market for the NRL outside of Australia, then I can’t see that happening if the grass roots game globally is neglected.
oikee said | March 15th 2010 @ 12:32pm | Report comment
Global building? Grass-roots? What global and grass-roots. Mate the only way to help rugby league is going to be by a television push, and union 7″s. If these countries see the fast pace of union 7″s and already watch rugby league, then rugby league is better placed to grow the game. At the moment our grass-roots for America is zero, there is none. We are better off building interest via t/v for the game then trying to plug away competing with union at ground level. We all know that union is plugging away with international games for t/v. This is what rugby league needs to do. Simple, compete or die.
Sam said | March 15th 2010 @ 12:44pm | Report comment
You’re trying to go for a top down approach. Has that ever worked? Everywhere where RL has a decent tv audience is where the game is relatively strong at a grass roots ie amateur level. The reason union has been expanding the way it has is not because of one decision by the IOC. It’s because the sport has relied on amateur participation right up until 1995 – the game has been played widely because people wanted to play, not because people wanted to watch it on TV. The game was amateur, and no one cared about TV deals and professional contracts. Union has a presence in the US because the game has been played in universities there for years and years, not because they can watch the Heineken Cup or Super 14 on tv. If the NRL wants people outside Australia to watch it then growing participation outside Australia has to be a key strategy. You seem to think that rugby 7′s and RL are the same thing, they are completely different – and to assume that watching one will lead to watching another is a mistake i believe.
True Tah said | March 15th 2010 @ 1:27pm | Report comment
And you wonder why as far as international goes, rugby union leaves rugby league for dead.
Dave said | March 15th 2010 @ 12:58pm | Report comment
The NRL is not even shown in England oikee. but when rugby union leave league for dead in the USA then you will say the say thing and whats next. Lets try to crack the South African market.
I don’t think your fellow rugby league buddies on theroar like the way your talking about Russian rugby league and leaving them for dead oikee.
Rod said | March 15th 2010 @ 2:23pm | Report comment
And who are you oikee to say who can or can’t play Rugby League?
This is a sport for gods sake and our sport is not run by communists or Unionites, they are the type that bans people playing games they enjoy.
If you want to be like that, may I suggest you either move to North Korea, China or Cuba and play Union.
Matt said | March 15th 2010 @ 12:03pm | Report comment
To be honest, now that 7′s had gained Olympic status the writing is in the wall loud and clear. Union was already far more established code in Russia before some individuals decided League was the better investment. I guess that original choice had something to do with league requiring less players and being easier to learn. And when League was at it’s peak in Russia it was off the back of established union clubs, like Lokimotiv, deciding they were better off playing 13 a side and took all that rugby knowledge and skilled athletes with them.
But now 7′s has emerged as a more lucrative and high profile game and all those clubs who showed such a lack of loyalty when moving to league before have left back the other way. So I guess that’s karma in a way when the growth of a sport is based upon the fickle disloyalty of individuals and clubs. They’re all the first to leave you when they see a better opportunity.
Whatever league can achieve now in Russia it will be based on the strong ground work of Union through 7′s rugby. League will be able to pick off a good few Union athletes that come through from the new school programs and professional comp. All the funding and hype is now about the 2011 world cup and the Olympic games building up towards 2016. And with the Russians in NZ along with the Indian 7′s squad you can already see the massive emphasis 6 years out from the Rio games. It’s only been a few months since the Olympic inclusion happened too.