MOSCOW: Russia is hoping to capitalise on a rich rugby union legacy after hosting the World Cup Sevens, according to Northampton winger Vasily Artemyev, currently one of the country’s best known players.
“It’s definitely the biggest rugby tournament Russia has hosted, but let’s hope it’s not the last,” the Moscow-born Artemyev said of this weekend’s three-day tournament that features 24 men’s teams and 16 women’s teams.
“I expect huge things to come after this tournament. The legacy will be huge.
“The fact it’s on Russian soil means the world to us Russian players,” said Artemyev, who was educated in Ireland and currently plies his trade for Northampton in the English Premiership.
The Russian added: “The fact that no one expects anything from us is to our advantage. It should allow us to relax a bit and, I hope, to deliver a couple of surprises.”
Wales were the shock winners in the last World Cup in Dubai in 2009, the 80-1 outsiders benefitting from a quarter-final round that saw the four favourites eliminated, a fact not lost on Artemyev.
“Anything can happen in sevens. Unlike 15-a-side rugby, there are only two seven-minute halves and upsets happen on a much more regular basis. Everything’s in our hands.”
Bernard Lapasset, head of world rugby’s governing body, the International Rugby Board (IRB), added that he thought the action in both the men’s and women’s competitions would be “the most competitive yet”.
“It is genuinely impossible to predict how the teams will fare against one another,” Lapasset said.
“Four years ago, rank outsiders Wales shocked the world to take the (men’s) title in Dubai and I for one will not attempt to guess who will make the semi-finals, let alone who raises the Melrose Cup on Sunday evening.”
Lapasset said Moscow’s hosting of the tournament was a “dream come true”.
“Rugby is breaking new frontiers around the world. Russia has dreamed for many years about welcoming the world’s greatest rugby sevens players to this great stage.”
It was an event that “will showcase our wonderful sport and its character-building values ahead of our Olympic Games return in 2016”, he said.
“Russia is an important strategic market for the IRB. It now has 30,000 registered players, a professional league and national men’s and women’s teams making their mark on the world stage.
“And the evidence is that the sport is continuing to grow rapidly in Russia. With 14,500 players being registered in 2009, the number of participants has doubled since the decision was made that year to return rugby to the Olympics.
“This growth must continue into the future. It is important that this hosting opportunity is converted into tangible benefits and we have been working in partnership with the Rugby Union of Russia and the Russian Government to achieve just that.” AFP
