THE ENISEI-STM TEAM, the first from Russia to play in the European Challenge Cup, is set to learn more than rugby from their trip to Galway to play Connacht.
The club from Siberia will be guests of the Liam Mellows hurling club in Galway at their training ground in Ballyloughnane, not far from the team base at the Connacht Hotel.
And Liam Mellows stalwart Mickey Grealish, whose father Mick is a former president of the Connacht Branch of the IRFU, gave Enisei-STM coach Alexander Pervukhin a lesson in the skills of the game at the Sportsground.
The coach, who has taken charge of the Russian national side, wasn’t long picking up the basics of the game.
His side have enjoyed a great maiden season in European rugby and having beaten Newcastle Falcons and Brive in Sochi, they will be hoping for another upset when they take on Connacht at the Sportsground on Saturday afternoon.
The club are no strangers to the Sportsground and Galway as they have travelled in the past to play the Connacht Eagles on a number of occasions.
Pervukhin admitted they were interested in hurling and he fancied a lot of his players would have the basic skills as a lot of them have played hockey.
“It is great to learn about new sports when you travel. That is what rugby, that is what sport, is all about, and we are grateful to our hosts in Galway,” he said.
