VVA Podmoskovye

The VVA-Podmoskovye is a Russian rugby union team playing in the Professional Rugby League. The team plays at Gagarin Air Force Academy stadium in Monino, a garrison town just outside Moscow. VVA-Podmoskovye has strong links to the air force and also supplied the bulk of Russia's national team, with which they shared a head coach, Nikolai Nerush. The team had ambitious plans for the future - it lobbied hard for inclusion in the European Challenge Cup and was close to completing a 12,500-seat purpose-built rugby stadium.

VVA Podmoskovye

Full name	Rugby club VVA-Podmoskovje, Moscow region
Founded	1967
Location	Monino, Russia
Ground(s)	Gagarin Air Force Academy stadium (Capacity: 1500)
Chairman	Rifkat Sattarov
Coach(es)	Nikolay Nerush
Captain(s)	Vladimir Marchenko
1st kit 2nd kit
Official website
www.vva-podmoskovje.ru

VVA-Podmoskovye have won the title eight times, in 1993, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. 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.

Honours

• USSR/Russian Championship (17): 1969, 1971, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1993, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010.
• USSR/Russian Cup (13): 1976, 1980, 1983, 1986, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2010.

Current squad

2019

VVA
Pos.	Nat.	Name	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Former club
HK		Evgeny Matveev	(1984-04-15) 15 April 1984	61	Lokomotiv
HK		Alexander Ivanov	(1990-11-04) 4 November 1990	3	homegrown player
HK		Ivan Nezhdanov	(1995-01-01) 1 January 1995		Bulava Taganrog
PR		Andrey Polivalov	(1986-08-09) 9 August 1986	28	Enisei-STM
PR		Vladimir Podrezov	(1994-01-27) 27 January 1994	27	Enisei-STM
PR		Clinton Theron	(1995-11-03) 3 November 1995		Boland Cavaliers
PR		Anton Drozdov	(1996-10-08) 8 October 1996	3	Bulava Taganrog
PR		Dmitry Krovyakov	(1998-05-19) 19 May 1998		Energia Kazan
LK		Alexey Panasenko	(1983-01-13) 13 January 1983	33	homegrown player
LK		Andrey Garbuzov	(1983-08-07) 7 August 1983	99	Krasny Yar
LK		Freddy Ngoza	(1991-10-20) 20 October 1991		Boland Cavaliers
LK		Egor Zykov	(1993-01-11) 11 January 1993	2	Krasny Yar
LK		Mikhail Pankratov	(1999-04-11) 11 April 1999		Energia Kazan
FL		Alexander Lavrov	(1991-03-18) 18 March 1991		Bulava Taganrog
FL		Vitaly Zhivatov	(1992-02-16) 16 February 1992	12	homegrown player
FL		Tagir Gadzhiev	(1994-03-29) 29 March 1994	31	RC Kuban
FL		Sergey Mysin	(1995-09-16) 16 September 1995		homegrown player
FL		Patris Peki	(1995-10-19) 19 October 1995	2	RC Zelenograd
N8		Artem Marchenko	(1991-03-23) 23 March 1991		homegrown player
SH		Dmitry Perov	(1984-11-18) 18 November 1984	14	homegrown player
SH		Denis Syomin	(1992-12-24) 24 December 1992		homegrown player
SH		Gor Petrosyan	(1997-08-17) 17 August 1997		Krasny Yar
FH		Lasha Malaguradze	(1986-06-02) 2 June 1986	91	Krasny Yar
FH		Leighton Eksteen	(1994-09-15) 15 September 1994		SWD Eagles
CE		Sergey Trishin	(1984-12-12) 12 December 1984	56	Enisei-STM
CE		Mikhail Babaev	(1986-01-19) 19 January 1986	71	Enisei-STM
CE		Ilya Babaev	(1989-01-10) 10 January 1989		homegrown player
CE		German Davydov	(1994-03-10) 10 March 1994	21	Energia Kazan
CE		Kirill Golosnitsky	(1994-05-30) 30 May 1994	14	Krasny Yar
CE		Artem Kashyrsky	(1995-01-01) 1 January 1995		homegrown player
CE		Sergey Motov	(1997-01-05) 5 January 1997		homegrown player
CE		Egor Kuleshov	(1998-02-18) 18 February 1998		homegrown player
WG		Alexander Romanov	(1993-04-26) 26 April 1993		homegrown player
WG		Vladislav Sozonov	(1993-10-09) 9 October 1993	11	homegrown player
WG		Meli Rokoua	(1994-08-24) 24 August 1994		Eastern Province Elephants
WG		Alexander Nikitin	(1999-04-22) 22 April 1999		homegrown player
WG		Daniil Potikhanov	(1999-11-30) 30 November 1999	3	Lokomotiv
FB		Andrey Lizogub	(1991-01-22) 22 January 1991	2	RC Kuban
FB		German Godlyuk	(1992-08-11) 11 August 1992	2	Slava Moscow

Former players now in a professional overseas league

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union Vadim Cobilas Prop Moldova -> Sale Sharks Karolis Navickas Lock Lithuania -> Sale Sharks & Union Bordeaux Bègles Vasily Artemiev Wing Russia -> Northampton Saints

International honours

• Karolis Navickas
• Alexander Khrokin
• Alexei Travkin
• Vladislav Korshunov
• Artem Fatakhov
• Alexander Voytov
• Evegeny Matveev
• Victor Gresev
• Alexander Shakirov
• Alexander Yanyushkin
• Mikhail Babaev
• Sergey Trishin
• Vasily Artemiev
• Igor Klyuchnikov
• Andrey Kuzin

External links

• http://www.heavensgame.com/russian-pro-league/russian-league-expands-for-2010