Russian Rugby Football League

In May 1991, York and Fulham RLFC toured Russia.^[4]

Challenge Cup history

Kazan Arrows and Moscow Locomotive in December 2001 became the first Russian teams to feature in the Rugby Football League Challenge Cup. Since 2001 Russian clubs have travelled to England to take part in the tournament.^{[citation needed]}

Cross roads of 2005

Despite all that happened early in the year, the RRFL went ahead with its annual championship, including the youth world cup, which was thought by many not to go ahead.^{[citation needed]}

2022: ban

After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the International Rugby League and European Rugby League banned Russia from all international rugby league competitions.^[2]

Russian Championship

The Russian Championship (or Russian Super League or Championship of Russia) consisted of 6 teams in the 2008 season:

• Locomotive – Moscow
• Arrows – Kazan
• Vereya – Moscow Region
• Crystal – Rostov-on-Don
• Kosmos – Moscow Region
• Legion – Kharkiv (Ukraine)

Dinamo Moscow and St Petersburg Nevskaya Zastava started the season but failed to complete it. Saint Petersburg Lesteh and Volgodonsk Navy-Sphere entered the cup but did not participate in any league.^{[citation needed]}

Championship NFRR-13 Premier League

Major League Major League teams are divided into groups on a geographical basis

Challenge Cup

Two teams each year took part in the Rugby League Challenge Cup, along with four teams from France including Les Catalans, although the Challenge Cup is not considered a 'European Cup', more a domestic competition in the UK that invites these teams into the early rounds.^{[citation needed]} However Russian teams have not played in the Challenge Cup since 2009 due to the funding crisis in Russian Rugby League, and their being banned in 2022.^{[citation needed]}

Olympic status of Rugby Union Sevens and the expulsion of Rugby League from the State Register of Sports of Russia

By mid-2009 the three major clubs of Russian Rugby League had moved over to Rugby Union as a result of government pressure to achieve results in rugby union sevens, newly designated as an Olympic sport.^{[citation needed]} These clubs were Kazan Arrows, Dinamo Moscow and the champions for the past eight years, Lokomotiv Moscow.^[5][6]

Russian Ministry of Sports order number 21 dated 20 January 2010 expelled the Rugby League from the State Register of Sports of Russia.^[7] The reasoning for the expulsion was reportedly due to the Ministry's view that Rugby League was not a separate sport from rugby union.^[8]

In February a new president of the RRLF was elected, Alexander Eremin. Eremin, the board members and employees of the RRLF are investigating the potential for the continuation of Rugby League in Russia with various government, civic and sports organizations, in particular the Ministry of Sports and Rugby Union of Russia.^[7]

After the turmoil of the RRLF losing clubs and players, Edward Taturian caused a split with the Rugby League Federation, to potentially form an Association of Rugby League Clubs.^{[citation needed]}

The Association of Rugby League Clubs of Russia (ARLKR)

2010 began with no clear framework or competition, within this context the old figurehead Taturyan established the Association of Rugby League Clubs of Russia (ARLKR) seemingly independent of the RRLF.^{[citation needed]} The following clubs joined the ARLKR association:^[5][6]

1. Nevsky Gate
2. Vereyskaya Bears
3. Threshers
4. North Moscow
5. Nara
6. Otradnoe
7. Spartak-Losinka.

(In 1991, Taturian, the former coach of the Soviet Rugby team, split from the Russian rugby union and took over some teams to found the Russian Rugby League. The game grew and became known as the Russian Rugby League Federation.)^[6]