Rugby Europe Super Cup

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

No it's not a new Saturday morning cartoon show, it's a new compeition

https://www.rugbyeurope.eu/news/rugby-europe-launches-the-super-cup/

Rugby Europe, the regional governing body for rugby in Europe, and World Rugby are joining forces to create a new competition, starting in September 2021.

Rugby Europe will launch its first ever club competition for the emerging Rugby Unions in Europe: The Rugby Europe Super Cup.

This new competitive annual club competition will see a mix of professional club and franchise teams battling it out for the Super Cup ***le through an exciting competition format.

For the first edition, the Super Cup will feature 8 leading teams dispatched in two conferences for the initial round robin stage.

The Eastern Conference

• Georgia – THE BLACK LION
• Israel - THE TEL-AVIV HEAT
• Russia – ENISEY-STM (Champion of 2021 Russian Rugby Championship)
• Russia – LOKOMOTIV PENZA (Runners up of the 2021 Russian Rugby Championship)

The Western Conference

• Belgium - THE BRUSSELS DEVILS
• Netherlands - THE DELTA
• Portugal - THE LUSITANOS
• Spain - THE CASTILLA Y LEON IBERIANS

At last!
Hopefully it will expand to include teams from eventually all the European countries (I see that they have gone the Eurovision version of Europe also)

My sort of dream would be to have a bottom level competition with all the domestic winners of these "lower" tier nations and potentially get it to include teams from likes of the Championship, Super 6, Welsh Premier Division, AIL, Pro D2.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

You would think Romania, Germany, Switzerland and Poland are prob next to line up

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Conflicted on who to support between The Delta and the Lusitanos.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Nice!

I thought this was going to be the re-branding of the HEC to include the SA franchises, so pleasantly surprised

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Conflicted on who to support between The Delta and the Lusitanos.

I'm assuming the Lusitanos are Lisbon base so looking to support them as an easy excuse to go to a Med coastal town

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Israel is a interesting choice guess prob the team that has the most stable financial backer?

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

also the spainsh team Iberians will be a regional team with
Valladolid Rugby Asociación Club
Aparejadores Rugby (Based in Burgos)
CR El Salvador (Based in Valladolid)

Which is cool because leaves open to having more regional teams


The Delta team info
https://www.rugby.nl/nederland-neem...8SaZdHlWruN5Pf_XaNOqoYx6oDRrwwComcZ_gzTd8lO1g

TEAM DELTA
For the Rugby Europe Super Cup, Rugby Netherlands is putting together a franchise team. This team is called Delta and basically consists of players under 24 years of age. This age limit can be deviated from if necessary to strengthen the team. Players who have not yet lived in the Netherlands for five years, and are therefore not eligible to play for the national team, are also eligible for this team.

Which makes sense given the their national team has focused more on the younger age groups now for the long term benefit.

 

[Yulia]

You would think Romania, Germany, Switzerland and Poland are prob next to line up

Yes, I hope for Romania at least, I was surprised there was no Romanian team there
Great news anyway, also surprised to see 2 Russian teams (especially Lokomotiv),will be interesting to watch

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

My uneducated guess is that Romania was originally war marked for it, withdrew due to funding and Russia filled in that space.

Could def this this turning more into a league if enough teams joined.

 

[Yulia]

My uneducated guess is that Romania was originally war marked for it, withdrew due to funding and Russia filled in that space.

"War marked" means "against" ? It's sad then,if it was withdrawn due to funding..

My uneducated guess

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

"War marked" means "against" ? It's sad then,if it was withdrawn due to funding..

Guessing Tigs meant earmarked

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

"War marked" means "against" ? It's sad then,if it was withdrawn due to funding..

Meant earmarked but you know phones

 

[Groundhog]

Would have imagined a German side (Heildelberg RK) would have been dead certs for this until Wild had to divest. Think there's been a bit of a vacuum since then and RK aren't even the best team in Heidelberg anymore. Frankfurt might be next off the block for this tournament.

Great initiative though. Have to imagine the Russians will boss it to start, but will be awesome to see a Dutch and Belgian side in particular.

 

[Croket66]

Black Lion from Georgia announced their first 9 players, all front rowers

It includes 6 domestic players and 3 players from abroard :
- Nikoloz Khatiashvili (loosehead prop - Houston SaberCats) 5 caps, also played SuperRugby for Sunwolves and ProD2 for Aurillac and Angoulême

- Shalva Mamukashvili (hooker - Leicester) 83 caps, also played for Toulon, Montpellier, Sale, Glasgow

- Nika Pataraia (tighthead prop - Steaua Bucharest) also played for Provence Rugby in France

 

[higgik]

Firstly they should becextendingvthe season to 10 games by adding home or away v other conference

Then after teams are secure, add a Scottish team (3rd pro team, Caledonia, based in Dundee), a 3rd Italian Pro team based in Rome (Praetorians), a team from Romania and a 2nd Spanish team.

12 teams 3 conferences of 4, playing a 14 game season. Then the income might mean better salaries and more pro or at least semi-pro players.

 

[Croket66]

Will see how the club will be well established and financially ok

Georgia's Black Lion announce their 5 second row signed

- Nodar Cheishvili, 30 caps, Aia Kutaisi, also played in England second division (London Scottish, Doncaster)

- Lasha Jaiani 11 caps from Wasps

- Davit Gigauri 11 caps From Tarbes (France), also played for Colomiers (Fr ProD2)

- Mikheil Babunashvili, Aia Kutaisi, uncapped but in the squad for July tests

- Ioane Gusharashvili a youngster from Montluçon (France)

 

[Croket66]

Black Lion squad announced
It features 16 international players, including 6 with professional rugby experience (Top14/ProD2, Pro14, Premiership/Championship, SuperRugby) :
- hooker Shalva Mamukashvili (Leicester, Sale, Toulon, Montpellier, Carcassonne, Glasgow)
- prop Nikoloz Khatiashvili (Sunwolves, Aurillac, Soyaux-Angouleme)
- lock Lasha Jaiani (Wasps)
- lock Nodar Cheishvili (London Scottish, Cornish Pirates)
- lock Davit Gigauri (Colomiers)
- centre Merab Sharikadze (Aurillac, Bourg)

7 of these guys played against South Africa this summer (Gigauri, Tapladze, Tabutsadze, Sharikadze in the XV; Khatiashvili, Cheishvili, Babunashvili from the bench)

 

[Croket66]

A summary of the Eastern pool



BLACK LION

City : Tbilissi, Georgia (1 171 000 inhabitants)

Coachs : head coach Levan Maisashvili (GEO), backs coach Cory Brown (NZL), forwards coach Ilia Maisuradze (GEO)
Captain : Merab Sharikadze

Main experienced players : hooker Shalva Mamukashvili (82 caps including 2 RWC's, played for Leicester, Toulon, Montpellier, Glasgow, Sale); prop Nikoloz Khatiashvili (5 caps, played ProD2 for Aurillac and Angouleme and SuperRugby for Sunwolves); locks Nodar Cheishvili (played english championship for London Scottish and Cornish Pirates), Davit Giguauri (Colomiers ProD2), Lasha Jaiani (Wasps, Exeter Uni); flanker Giorgi Tkhilaishvhili (63 caps including 2 RWC), centre Merab Sharikadze (more than 90 ProD2 games mainly for Aurillac)

Team:
Props - Nika Abuladze (GEO), Goga Kadaria (GEO), Nikoloz Khatiashvili (GEO, 5 caps), Mikheil Oragvelidze (GEO), Nika Pataraia (GEO), Giorgi Pertaia (GEO), Mikheil Tsiklauri (GEO)
Hookers - Giorgi Khuroshvili (GEO), Shalva Mamukashvili (GEO, 82 caps), Tengiz Zamtaradze (GEO)
Locks - Mikheil Babunashvili (GEO), Nodar Cheishvili (GEO, 30 caps), Davit Gigauri (GEO, 13 caps), Lasha Jaiani (GEO, 11 caps)
Backrow - Tornike Akubardia (GEO), Niko Aptsiauri (GEO), Ioseb Gusharashvili (GEO), Luka Ivanishvili (GEO), Sandro Mamamtavrishvili (GEO), Giorgi Tkhilaishvili (GEO, 63 caps)
Scrumhalves - Giorgi Begadze (GEO, 67 caps), Luka Matkava (GEO), Tengiz Peranidze (GEO)
Flyhalves - Giorgi Babunashvili (GEO, 9 caps), Lasha Khmaladze (GEO, 87 caps), David Modzgvrishvili (GEO)
Centres - Guram Kandaurashvili (GEO), Lasha Lomidze (GEO, 1 cap), Merab Sharikadze (GEO, 76 caps), Demur Tapladze (GEO, 9 caps)
Back Three - Otar Lashki (GEO), Soso Matiashvili (GEO, 29 caps), Mirian Modebadze (GEO, 16 caps), Sandro Svanidze (GEO, 1 cap), Akaki Tabutsadze (GEO, 13 caps), Aleksandre Todua (GEO, 93 caps)

Possible XV :
Abuladze - Mamukashvili - Khatiashvili ; Gigauri - Cheishvili ; Mamamtavrishvili - Tkhilaishvili - Aptsiauri ; Peranidze - Babunashvili ; Todua - Sharikadze - Tapladze - Tabutsadze ; Matiashvili



ENISEI-STM

City : Krasnoyarsk, Russia (1 091 000 inhabitants)

Coaches : Alexander Pervukhin (RUS), Carel Rynhard Van As (SAF), Vakil Valeev (RUS)

Main experienced players : Innokenty Zykov (prop), Maxim Gargalic (lock), Evgeniy Elgin (lock), Andrey Temnov (flanker), Alexey Shcherban (scrumhalf); Ramil Gaisin (flyhalf), Jurijs Baranovs (centre), Dimitry Gerasimov (centre), Denis Simplikevich (centre) all with 15+ Challenge Cup games experience, NJ Oosthuizen (played for Southern Kings Pro14)

Team :
Props - Ramazan Aliev (RUS), Nikita Baryshnikov (RUS), Azamat Bitiev (RUS, 22 caps), Andris Buske (LAT), Nicolaas Jacobus Oosthuizen (SAF), Stepan Seriakov (RUS, 1 cap), Innokentiy Zykov (RUS, 45 caps)
Hookers - Pieter Johannes Jacobs (SAF), Denis Mashkin (RUS), Simon Westraadt (SAF)
Locks - Evgeniy Elgin (RUS, 33 caps), Maxim Gargalic (MDA, 12 caps), Anton Makarenko (KAZ, 7 caps), Vitaliy Nemtsev (RUS)
Backrow - Carel du Preez (SAF), Evgeniy Malyshkin (RUS), Friedle Olivier (SAF), Franco Schutte (SAF), Andrey Temnov (RUS, 59 caps)
Scrumhalves - Efim Riabishchuk (RUS), Aleksei Shcherban (RUS, 44 caps), Konstantin Uzunov (RUS, 21 caps)
Flyhalves - Aleksandr Budychenko (RUS, 14 caps), Ramil Gaisin (RUS, 55 caps)
Centres - Iuri Baranov (LAT), Aleksandr Belosludtsev (RUS, 1 cap), Dmitri Gerasimov (RUS, 71 caps), Viktor Kononov (RUS, 4 caps), Denis Simplikevich (RUS, 29 caps)
Back Three - Nikita Churashov (RUS, 4 caps), Khetag Dzobelov (RUS, 3 caps), Timur Maslov (RUS), Alexandru Matveev (MDA, 4 caps), Davit Meskhi (GEO), Aleksei Mikhaltsov (RUS, 27 caps), Artem Rovskiy (RUS)

Possible XV :
Bitiev - Westraadt - Oosthuizen ; Elgin - Gargalic ; Temnov - du Preez - Olivier ; Shcherban - Gaisin ; Meskhi - Baranovs - Simplikevich - Mikhaltsov ; Churashov


LOKOMOTIV PENZA

City : Penza, Russia (523 000 inhabitants)

Coaching Staff : headcoach Alexander Yanyushkin (RUS), forwards coach David Gurgenadze (ESP/GEO)

Main experienced players : georgian internationals hooker Giorgi Chkoidze and backrow Ilia Spanderashvili that faced South Africa last summer; lock James Down that spent years for Cardiff Blues (+100 games) and for London Welsh in Premiership; centurion Viktor Gresev that played 2 RWC and spent few months for Wasps; scrumhalf Rudi Van Rooyen (2 Pro14 seasons and a SuperRugby season for Southern Kings)

Team :
Props - Alexey Bashev (RUS), Tariel Donadze (GEO), Artem Pisarkov (RUS), Yuriy Romashev (RUS), Alexander Ryabov (RUS), Sergey Sekisov (RUS, 22 caps), Mikhail Smagin (RUS), Alexey ***ov (RUS)
Hookers - Giorgi Chkoidze (GEO, 15 caps), Hendrick Petrus Van Schoor (SAF), Pavel Zhilyaev (RUS)
Locks - James Down (WAL), Bogdan Kireev (RUS), German Silenko (RUS, 3 caps), Vadim Zharkov (RUS, 1 cap)
Backrow - Vladimir Geraskin (RUS), Victor Gresev (RUS, 105 caps), Denis Nosachev (RUS), Vladislav Perestyak (RUS, 2 caps), Ilia Spanderashvili (GEO, 2 caps)
Scrumhalves - Rudi Van Rooyen (SAF), Rushan Yagudin (RUS, 13 caps)
Flyhalves - Revaz Brodzeli (GEO), Andrey Yanushkin (RUS), Sergey Yanushkin (RUS, 16 caps)
Centres - Ilia Babaev (RUS), Zahar Bobkov (RUS), Nika Tsirekidze (GEO), Vladislav Sozonov (RUS, 13 caps)
Back Three - Pavel Golik (RUS), Alexander Gudok (RUS), Andrey Karzanov (RUS, 1 cap), Valeriy Khlutkov (RUS), Pavel Kuraev (RUS), Daniil Potikhanov (RUS, 4 caps), Dmitry Sukhin (RUS)

Possible XV
Sekisov - Chkoidze - Donadze ; Silenko - Down ; Perestyak - Gresev - Spanderashvili ; Van Rooyen - S.Yanyushkin ; Potikhanov - Tsirekidze - Sozonov - Babaev ; Sukhin

TEL AVIV HEAT

City : Tel Aviv, Israel (460 000 habitants)

Coaching staff : headcoach Kevin Musikanth (SAF), backs coach Demetri Catrakillis (SAF), forwards coach Paul Day (SAF)

Main experienced players : Renaldo Bothma (namibian international, played for Bulls and Harlequins), Jasa Veremalua (fijian flanker, sevens international, Olympic Gold medalist), GJ Van Velze (played for Bulls, Northampton, Worcester, 100+ Premiership games), Prince !Gaoseb (namibian international, 2019 RWC, played in English D2), Nic Groom (south african scrumhalf that played London Irish, Northampton - Premiership, Edinburgh - Pro14, Stormers - SuperRugby), Gabriel Ibitoye (former U20 star that played for Harlequins, Agen and Montpellier)

Team
Props - David Geffen (SAF), Thembinkosi Mangwana (SAF), Ananaia Rabonu (FIJ), Jared Sichel (ISR), Brendan Barry
Hookers - Nitzan Reizel (ISR), Bradley Van Niekerk (SAF)
Locks - Tom Burden (ISR), Azaraih Immanueli (FIJ), Thabang Mahlasi (SAF), Yahel Rozilio (ISR), Maayan Shaked (ISR), Yotam Shulman (ISR)
Backrow - Eirad Barkai (ISR), Thomas Berman (SAF), Renaldo Bothma (NAM, 17 caps), Yiftach Engel (ISR), Prince !Gaoseb (NAM, 5 caps), Cal Smid (SAF), GJ Van Velze (SAF), Jasa Veremalua (FIJ)
Scrumhalves - Nic Groom (SAF), Omer Levinson (ISR), Gilan Vardi (ISR)
Flyhalves - Jordan Chait (SAF), Kieran Houlston (SAF)
Centres - Nemani Buliruarua (FIJ), Divan Enslin (SAF), Idan Eisenberg (ISR), Saar Gellar (ISR)
Back Three - Alan Dodin (ISR), Xolisa Guma (SAF), Gabriel Ibitoye (ENG), Sebastiaan Jobb (SAF), Misael Petero (FIJ), Sailasa Turugaluvu (FIJ)

Possible XV :
Mangwana - Van Niekerk - Sichel ; Shulman - Mahlasi ; Bothma - Veremalua - Van Velze ; Groom - Chait ; Guma - Buliruarua - Enslin - Ibitoye ; Jobb

 

[Yulia]

@Croket66 very beautiful and informative post,thank you!