It is a feast of rugby at Franklin's Gardens this weekend! As well as the European Challenge Cup quarter final against Connacht (Sat, 3pm), Northampton Saints will be making history on Easter Monday evening when the club's second team, the Wanderers, takes on Russian champions VVA-Podmoskovie at Franklin's Gardens, the first time a Guinness Premiership club will have faced a club from Russia.
VVA, formed in 1967 as part of the Yuri Gagarin Air Forces Academy in the Moscow region town of Monino, is now the undisputed powerhouse in Russian club rugby, having won five out of the past six league titles which is no mean feat; the Russian league is now fully professional and one of the world's strongest outside the Six and Tri-Nations.
Two years ago, VVA were the only team to beat the English Counties on their inaugural Russian visit, scoring an emphatic 35-12 win. Now, VVA's historic 2009 tour will see them become the first ever Russian club to play top-level English opposition, and the team will have the chance in England to train at world-class facilities with world-renowned coaches.
VVA also provides the Russian national team with the bulk of its squad, who are well placed to qualify for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. General Director Rifkat Sattarov is passionate about increasing the standard of Russian rugby.
"VVA have toured South Africa in the past, but climatic differences between our winter and their summer combined with long travel times have forced us to look elsewhere for international opponents," he said. "We need competition. It is time for us to move to the international stage and we want to play in the European Challenge Cup."
Steve Diamond, director of rugby for the Rugby Union of Russia, has been instrumental in organising the game and says that the Wanderers will be in for a tough evening.
"This tour is a big thing," Diamond said. "It's less about winning than development, but Jim Mallinder is under no illusions - he knows he will be facing a quality side. VVA are at least mid-National League One level, and there are some players who are ready for Guinness Premiership rugby; the first 60 minutes of Russia's recent game against Romania [Russia won 28-19 in world cup qualifying in Bucharest] was GP level.
"Today, VVA would stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Romanian team; they would look to compete with the Italians and others."
VVA head coach Nikolai Nerush said: "We are thankful to Steve Diamond for organising the game, and very happy to be so kindly accepted by Northampton. Our main problem is finding strong competition, but we can't compare ourselves to European teams without it. The players know Northampton is a strong team, and they understand the difference may be like the sky and the ground, but if you do not play stronger opponents you never gain - to reach somewhere, you have to start walking."
Saints director of rugby Jim Mallinder is also looking forward to the game.
"I was more than happy for VVA to play at Franklin's Gardens against a Northampton XV," he said. "Russia is one of the fastest developing rugby nations and with many of their national side playing for VVA I'm expecting a tough game on Easter Monday. As well as giving VVA the chance to show what they can do in England it is a great opportunity for our lads to experience a different rugby culture. It will be a great evening for both clubs and I hope that VVA will receive a warm welcome from the Saints supporters."
The game between the Wanderers and VVA-Podmoskovie will be played on the main pitch at Franklin's Gardens at 7:30pm on Easter Monday. Entry is free to all Saints season ticket holders (£5 adults, £2 concessions for non-season ticket holders payable at the turnstiles). The VVA-Podmoskovie players will also be at tomorrow's European Challenge Cup quarter final.
Supporters can read a full preview of the game in tomorrow's Connacht matchday programme, which also includes an exclusive interview with Matt Lord, looking back over his seven-year career at the club.
Click here to download the Easter Monday preview in Russian!
