SAITAMA, 18 Sep - The journey to Rugby World Cup 2019 for Russia's Kirill Gotovtsev started on the wrestling mat in Siberia and included an audacious bid to be an Olympic bobsleigher.

At 32, he is the least experienced player in Russia’s squad with four caps, having launched his playing career only in 2014, but he cannot wait for the tournament to start.

"I knew some rugby players before and was aware that some of them had previously switched from wrestling," he said.

"I didn’t follow rugby a lot, so I was surprised by the complexity of the sport. It has turned out to be not just checkers but the real chess.

"Most skills I use in playing rugby today are thanks to my wrestling experience. When I need to tackle an opponent, wrestling techniques help me a lot. I just do it automatically."

Gotovtsev, above, is counting down the days to his side's opening game against Japan on Friday.

"I already feel like a large emotional bomb that will explode on September 20," he said. "I react a lot in such games and I look forward to these sensations - they add to my forces.

"I want to win with every cell of my body, to spend these incredible 80 minutes on the pitch. It’s a life moment that is not given to everyone. I haven’t been to the Olympics, but maybe it’s quite comparable."

 

 

Born in the small Siberian village of Boguchany, Gotovtsev almost reached the national highs in freestyle wrestling.

In 2010, he took bronze in the 120kg at the national championships, conceding only to the renowned Bakhtiyar Akhmedov, the Beijing 2008 Olympic champion.

"That medal was pleasant but not enough for me," he said. "I got tired of endless training that led to nothing. I was not selected for the national team for major international events, so it was one of the reasons why I quit."

In 2012, after 15 years as a wrestler, Gotovtsev linked up with Olympic bobsleigher Dmitry Abramovitch.

"It was a serious stress for me. I plunged into an absolutely different atmosphere," he said. "During the first two months when we performed at European Cups, I was constantly getting cold."

Gotovtsev was left with another unfulfilled dream when he missed selection for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games.

In February 2014, a chance meeting with Igor Nikolaychuk, coach of the Russian rugby side Krasny Yar, launched him on a new path.

After a season in the Krasny Yar reserves team, he broke into the main squad in 2015 and immediately claimed the national title and the Russian Cup.

That year he made his international debut against Portugal but did not make the national team until 2019 when Russia head coach Lyn Jones wanted him to inject more power to the Bears pack.

"Scrum is a very difficult set piece, but it was good to set myself in the scrum," he said. "I only had to adjust some last details." 

RNS js/mj/mr