Russia rugby league player/coach Eduard Ososkov, has named a 30-man train-on squad drawn from five clubs for the upcoming European Shield campaign.
Half of those chosen, the bulk of whom featured in October's 2013 World Cup qualifiers, come from Vereya RLFC, the club based to the south of Moscow once more forming the Bears' backbone.
The veterans, not least Ososkov and his halfback partner prolific Sasha Lysokon are joined by seven previously un-capped players from a new crop of promising youngsters including MGPU trio Victor Tolstov, Sergey Petchinkin and Kosirev Vladimir, all products of the Moscow State Pedagogical University, Russia's newest team.
The Russian Association of Rugby League has targeted qualification for the planned 2017 World Cup as its main aim. Team manager and the RARLC’s head of international affairs, Sergey Kashutin, said: "We're expecting these young boys to appear in the autumn games with Serbia and Italy. We hope they will also be involved in festival matches during RLWC2013 and will gain additional international experience."
Experienced Vereya fullback Maksim Suchkov adds to an inventive midfield, while upfront canny hooker Vladimir Vlasyuk will look to get some of his mountainous forwards, such as Sergey Konstantinov, on the front foot.
Russia opens its campaign with a first visit to Germany, then resume in September with two home matches, against Serbia and Italy.
Pictured: Eduard Ososkov leads Russia once more.
RUSSIA TRAIN-ON SQUAD
Kosirev Vladimir, Petchinkin Sergey, Pligin Alexandr, Tolstov Victor, Samuylov Alexandr (MGPU, Rostov-on-Don), Esin Grigory, Sakharov Maksim (Nevskaya Zastava, St Petersburg), Grigoryan Artem, Odnosumov Vladimir, Zdobnikov Andrey (RBC Red Arrow), Chuprin Denis, Chuprin Igor, Darinskiy Andrey, Fedchuk Vadim, Gazaryan Aram, Gorikov Alexey, Gotsulyak Vladimir, Volkov Alexey, (Storm), Bulanov Rustam, Burlutskiy Mikhail, Gaponov Sergey, Grigorev Anatoly, Konstantinov Sergey, Lysokon Aleksandr, Nikolaev Alexey, Ososkov Eduard, Safronov Roman, Sevostianov Andrey, Suchkov Maksim, Vlasyuk Vladimir (Vereya RLFC)