RLEF Coaching Manager Martin Crick strengthened the Association of Rugby League Club’s (ARLK) coaching ranks following a three-day seminar and workshop in Naro-Fominsk. As the ARLK continues to establish itself, identifying the key technical leaders is towards the top of the RLEF’s priority list for the strategically important Eastern European nation.
With four Russian coach-tutor candidates having attended Phase 2 of the RLEF’s Technical Strategy in Rostov, Crick and the ARLK agreed that a five-man tutor team of Grigory Esin (St Petersburg, north region), Vladimir Kuschnerchuk (Rostov, south region), and Andrey Volkov, Kiril Borisov and Eduard Ososkov (Moscow and Moscow Region) would be the most suitable contingent to further the country’s coach education needs.
“I really enjoyed working with such a professional as Martin,” said Esin. “It`s very necessary for us now to use this knowledge to raise up us many new coaches as it possible. With them we`ll revive our domestic championship and will raise it to a new, higher level.”
Following three full days in the classroom and on the field, and fruitful discussions between the RLEF and ARLK, the two organisations will work on agreeing the third and final phase of the Technical Strategy, which will see all five tutor candidates delivering Level 1 courses to new Russian coaches.
ARLK president Edgard Taturyan, who is leading the fight to restore Russian rugby league’s official government status, was pleased with the seminar: “I personally think that the training was well planned and presented both theoretically and practically. We only need to look at how serious they [Russian candidates] were at the training - and some of them came from other, distant cities. Now, the ARLK will stress the importance of sharing their new knowledge with new players and coaches.”
RLEF General Manager Danny Kazandjian was also present during the seminar, and commented: “technical education must remain at the forefront of what we do. Already we have seen new Serbian coach tutors qualify new rugby league coaches in three countries; we have seen the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Jamaica, Holland and Italy qualify new local coaches to support their expanding domestic operations, and we must maintain our course.
“Russia is incredibly important to European rugby league. The ARLK is manned by some intelligent, determined, hard-working and loyal people who, despite having endured some tough times, never abandoned their posts. Now ARLK is at a stage where it can begin to plan constructively and really begin to look at growing the game in St Petersburg, Moscow and the south. The RLEF will continue to support the ARLK’s struggle to retain their official government status, which is imperative.”
Pictured: Crick, right, speaking to some of the trainee Russian tutor candidates.