HRC took part in the European 7’s Champions Trophy in St. Petersburg for the fourth time. The trip brought four losses, one win and plenty of experience of top-level sevens.
– The level was as tough as expected. Our opponents had improved from previous years, and keeping up with the pace was very difficult. We got a good taste of the speed and physicality of top-level sevens and saw how professionals prepare for matches. Our biggest challenge was staying alert every moment of every match, said HRC player-coach Mikko Moilanen.
Even though the team in St. Petersburg was the strongest HRC had sent so far, the ride was bumpy from the first game against the Moldovan side Steaua. HRC hung on through the first half, but the team of Moldovan internationals pulled away in the second. On the opening day HRC also lost to the Lithuanian Baltrex and the Russian professionals Krasny Yar, who both reached the top four.
Sunday began with a clear loss to the Georgian Akademia, which sent HRC to play for the wooden spoon against the Belarusian Busly. It was a rematch from the previous year, and this time HRC came out on top, winning 21–5 and finishing 11th – an accurate reflection of where HRC stood in the tournament.
No expense spared
The organisers had taken another step forward from an already high-standard set-up, and the tournament, played at the Petrovsky Stadium next to the city centre, seems to have attracted more attention from local people.
– There was a much bigger crowd than in previous years, and we heard a lot had been invested in advertising the event. There was also plenty of buzz in the fan zone outside the stadium.
Motorcycles and distinguished guests
Kuban Krasnodar, who won the tournament for the third year in a row, took the first prize of 20,000 euros. Small change for a professional club, but second-placed Baltrex will certainly appreciate their 10,000 euros.
The opening and closing ceremonies aimed for the feel of a major sporting event with a Russian twist. The opening ceremony had a motorcycle parade, dancing and drumming, local celebrity Ivan Okhlobystin as master of ceremonies and Rugby Europe president Octavian Morariu as the main speaker – something players of a Finnish club rarely experience.
– The opening ceremony is always really flamboyant, and taking part feels unreal every year. It’s like a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re going to get, Moilanen laughs.
Text: Mika Huopainen
