Soviet Championship (rugby union)

Historically rugby union had been banned in the Russian Empire due to Tsarist authorities thinking it liable to cause a riot. When the Soviet Union was established, rugby was encouraged within Soviet educational institutions. The growth led to the creation of the Rugby Federation of the USSR in 1936 with the Soviet Championship being established in the same year.{{Cite web|url=https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/society/49504/sporting-life|title=Sporting life|first=Huw|last=Richards|work=Prospect Magazine|accessdate=2 April 2025}} Despite interruption as a result of the Second World War, the Soviet Championship resumed until 1949 when the Soviet Union politburo ruled that rugby was: "a game not relevant to the principles of the Soviet people" and banned it. It was unbanned in 1957 with a game between the Welsh club Llanelli RFC and Romanian club Grivita Rosa. The Soviet Championship resumed in 1966 following an increase in sports participation following Joseph Stalin's death.{{Cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugby/arid-20166920.html|title=The Russians are coming|date=9 September 2011|website=Irish Examiner|accessdate=2 April 2025}}

In the 970s, 20 teams were playing in the Soviet Championship, with a growing popularity within Siberia.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theoffsideline.com/kirkcaldy-krasny-yar-russian-rugby-long-association-scotland/?i|title=From Kirkcaldy to Krasny Yar: Russian rugby and its long association with Scotland|first=David|last=Barnes|date=15 December 2017|website=The Offside Line|accessdate=2 April 2025}} Originally, the Soviet Championship was dominated by teams from the Russian Soviet Socialist Republic.{{cite book |title=The Oval World |page=311 |first=Tony |last=Collins |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |year=2015 |isbn=9781408843710}} By the 1980s, clubs from the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic became the stronger region in the Soviet Championship until its dissolution.{{Cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2023/09/22/sport/georgia-rugby-world-cup-2023-spt-intl/index.html|title=Georgia looking to cause an upset at the Rugby World Cup|date=22 September 2023|website=CNN|accessdate=2 April 2025}} Despite rugby union officially being strictly amateur, in the Soviet Championship, a number of clubs paid players professionally by giving them paper jobs with Soviet companies while playing rugby. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, four former Soviet Championship clubs went out of business due to a lack of funding as state sports sponsor money was prioritised for Olympic sports.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rugbyworld.com/featured/russian-standards-rugby-105872|title=Russian Standards: A look at the state of rugby in Russia |date=12 November 2019|website=Rugby World|accessdate=2 April 2025}}

{{cite web |url=https://rugbystat.droppages.com/champ |title=All winners of the USSR and Russian rugby championships 1938-2010 |publisher=Rugbystat |access-date=2 April 2025 }}

{{Reflist}}

• Soviet Cup
• Professional Rugby League

• [http://www.zveli.comuv.com/ragbis_akido/Maradi/Soviet_Era.htm Soviet Era of rugby union]

{{Rugby union in the Soviet Union}}

{{Top sport leagues in the Soviet Union}}

Category:Rugby union in the Soviet Union

Category:Defunct rugby union leagues in Europe

rugby union

Category:1936 establishments in the Soviet Union

Category:Sports leagues established in 1936

Rugby union