VVA Saracens

VVA Saracens
Full name Rugby club VVA-Podmoskovje, Moscow region
Union Professional Rugby League
Founded 1967
Location Monino, Russia
Ground(s) Gagarin Air Force Academy stadium (Capacity: 5000)
Chairman Rifkat Sattarov
Coach(es) Nikolay Nerush
Captain(s) Vladimir Marchenko;
Vladislav Korshunov
1st kit
2nd kit
Official website
www.vva-podmoskovje.ru

The VVA Saracens, formally known as VVA-Podmoskovye, is a Russian rugby union team currently playing in the Professional Rugby League, under the Saracens global network after joining the Network in 2013.[1] The team plays at Gagarin Air Force Academy stadium in Monino, a garrison town just outside Moscow. VVA-Podmoskovye have strong links to the air force and also supply the bulk of Russia, with which they share a head coach, Nikolai Nerush. The team has ambitious plans for the future - it is lobbying hard for inclusion in the European Challenge Cup and is close to completing a 12,500-seat purpose-built rugby stadium.[2]

VVA Saracens have won the title eight times, in 1993, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. They were also nine-time winners of the Soviet Championship.

March 2011 saw two stars depart for Aviva Premiership clubs, with Moldovan international Vadim Cobîlaş joining former Russia coach Steve Diamond at Sale Sharks and Russian international Vasily Artemiev joining Northampton Saints.

Championships

Squad

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.

Player Position Union
Alexander Khrokin Prop Russia Russia
Alexey Travkin Prop Russia Russia
Maxim Cobîlaş Prop Moldova Moldova
Alexey Volkov Prop Russia Russia
Sergeï Cornievec Prop Russia Russia
Vladislav Korshunov Hooker Russia Russia
Vladimir Marchenko Hooker Russia Russia
Artem Fatakhov Lock Russia Russia
Victor Kobzev Lock Russia Russia
Andrei Romanov Lock Moldova Moldova
Alexander Voytov Lock Russia Russia
Alexander Ivanov Flanker Russia Russia
Kirill Kushnarev Flanker Russia Russia
Yevgeny Matveyev Flanker Russia Russia
Svyatoslav Petukhov Flanker Russia Russia
Andreï Sorokin Flanker Russia Russia
Alexander Zorin Flanker Russia Russia
Viktor Gresev Number 8 Russia Russia
Alexeï Panasenko Number 8 Russia Russia
Player Position Union
Alexander Gudok Scrum-half Russia Russia
Alexander Shakirov Scrum-half Russia Russia
Alexander Yanyushkin Scrum-half Russia Russia
Denis Kukishev Fly-half Russia Russia
Yuriy Kushnarev Fly-half Russia Russia
Ilya Babaev Centre Russia Russia
Mikhail Babaev Centre Russia Russia
Sergeï Gavrushin Centre Russia Russia
Sergeï Shishkov Centre Russia Russia
Sergeï Trishin Centre Russia Russia
Alexeï Andreev Wing Russia Russia
Alexei Cotruţă Wing Moldova Moldova
Iles Kaminsky Wing Russia Russia
Oleg Kobzev Wing Russia Russia
Semen Lavrentiev Wing Russia Russia
Igor Klyuchnikov Fullback Russia Russia
Andreï Kuzin Fullback Russia Russia

Former players now in a professional overseas league

Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.

Player Position Union
Vadim Cobilas Prop Moldova Moldova -> Sale Sharks
Vladislav Korshunov Hooker Russia Russia -> London Wasps
Karolis Navickas Lock Lithuania Lithuania -> Sale Sharks & Union Bordeaux Bègles
Viktor Gresev Flanker Russia Russia -> London Wasps
Vasily Artemiev Wing Russia Russia -> Northampton Saints

International honours

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/24/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.