SPORTS

Australian Rules Football is coming to Moscow - and within months Russia could be sending its first ever team to the Euro Cup.

It’s a story which starts in the unlikely surroundings of Krasnoyarsk, in the heart of Siberia, and one which Roger Scott hopes will lead to the double-headed eagles flying the flag in Belfast this October.

“There was a guy from Krasnoyarsk, and he started kicking a ball around with some Russians there,” Scott told The Moscow News.

“Then the AFL Europe got in touch with me and asked if I could start it up in Moscow. I asked them to send me some balls and about three weeks ago we had our first training session.”

Big plans

That session attracted six players, but word of mouth has already pushed the numbers up to 14 - with almost half of them local Russians rather than expats.

And with a 12-strong squad - nine on-field and three replacements - needed for that European challenge, the big task for the squad is to ensure that it can get a Russian majority in time for the autumn event.

Many recruits have come from Moscow's thriving rugby scene, and Scott – who works for CB Richard Ellis when he’s not spreading the Aussie Rules gospel - believes more will be attracted by a whole new ball game.

“Apart from the shape of the ball, it’s completely different from rugby,” he said. “It’s a free-flowing game, you can pass forward or back and there's still the tackling: it's a high-contact sport. It’s also the only sport I know where you can miss the goal and still get a point for it!”

Team-mate Fyodor Korshkin is one local who has been converted in a matter of weeks.

“It’s more interesting than regular football, more dynamic than rugby,” he said. “The rules are easy to learn and its very approachable for beginners.”

Playing in Moscow

Another major selling point is the prospect of playing the game for free: using a field at Krasnaya Presnya costs nothing thanks to sponsorship from Shooters sports bar, and there’s little by way of specialist kit needed. Most players are happy with ordinary trainers, a T-shirt and tracksuit bottoms or shorts.

The only time money becomes a problem is when the possibility of setting up a game with the Krasnoyarsk group emerges.

“To be honest I don’t know if anyone would be interested in raising the money for the tickets,” Scott admitted.

The history

Although Aussie Rules is perhaps Moscow’s newest sport, it almost made its debut here nearly 40 years ago.

In 1972 the AFL was all set to send a pair of All-Star teams to play in Moscow as part of a European tour aimed at drumming up global interest.

Sadly, though, “technical reasons” raised by the Soviet Union’s sports ministry scuppered that trip - though the prospect of playing in chilly late autumn conditions probably didn’t help - and the game was moved to Greece instead.

Getting involved

Budding players who want to try their hand at Aussie Rules are welcome to join in on Sunday afternoons, usually at the Krasnaya Presnya stadium on Druzhinnikovskaya Ulitsa.

Typically a session involves 45 minutes of training drills followed by a practice game.

The group has a Facebook  page (search for Australian Rules Football Russia) with up to date info about meetings and matches.