Russia select group to play Namibia

Russia have selected a 25 man touring squad to travel to Windhoek for their two-game series with Namibia on July 11 and 18. The original squad was 28 players, but Vladislav Korshunov, Sergei Trishin, and German Godlyuk have withdrawn injured and will not be replaced.

Head coach Alexander Pervukhin has collected the players from only three clubs – Yenisey, Krasny Yar, and VVA Saracens. They are all part of the Russian Professional Rugby League, a 10-team fully professional divison that includes teams from Moscow, south to Krasnodar, and all the way to Krasnoyarsk – 4000km to the east.

Veteran flanker Andrei Temnov will continue to lead the side, with five uncapped players called for the first time. Tighthead prop Vladimir Podrezov, back row Daniel Chegodaev, and outside backs Evgeni Kolomiytsev, Andrei Lizogub, and Alexei Mikhaltsov will all make their debuts on the tour.

The Bears finished fourth in this year’s European Nations Cup with three wins and two losses. This will be their third trip to Windhoek, following one-off tests in 1994 and 2010, both victories. They did not qualify for this year’s World Cup, losing out to Uruguay in the repechage.

FORWARDS
Vladimir Podrezov (VVA), Andrei Polivalov (Yenisey), Evgeny Pronenko (Yenisey), Alexei Volkov (VVA), Innokenty Zykov (Yenisey), Evgeni Matveev (VVA), Stanislav Selskiy (Yenisey), Andrei Garbuzov (Krasny Yar), Alexei Panasenko (VVA), Pavel Butenko (Yenisey), Daniel Chegodaev (VVA), Viktor Gresev (Krasny Yar), Dimitri Krotov (Yenisey), Andrei Temnov (capt., Yenisey)

BACKS
Alexei Shcherban (Yenisey), Rushan Yagudin (Krasny Yar), Yuri Kushnarev (Yenisey), Anton Ryabov (Krasny Yar), Igor Galinovski (Krasny Yar), Dimitri Gerasimov (Yenisey), Vladimir Rudenko (Krasny Yar), Evgeni Kolomiytsev (Krasny Yar), Andrei Lizogub (VVA), Alexei Mikhaltsov (Yenisey), Andrei Otrokov (Krasny Yar)