The four clubs in Kyiv have to share one pitch
Former Richmond DoR Steve Hill puts the questions to Dimitri Basilaia, below, the Ukraine assistant coach
Why did you get into coaching rugby and how did you arrive at your current position?
I played 38 times for my country Georgia, including against England in the 2011 World Cup. Subsequently I played professionally for Clermont–Ferrand, Agen, Edinburgh and Perpignan. When I moved to Kyiv four years ago I had begun to miss rugby so I got involved coaching at Rugby Club Epoch-Polytechnic. We had a successful unbeaten first season and gained promotion. The year before the invasion we finished third in the top league.
What is your profession outside of rugby?
I was always interested in cooking and baking so whilst at Perpignan I trained as a baker on Ile-sur-Tet a busy town to the west of Perpignan under the famous baker Henri Poch, president of the association of Bread Masters of the Pyrenees-Orientales. I decided to open a restaurant and bakery in Kyiv to introduce Georgian flavours and add a bit of French gastronomy.
What style of coaching do you see used in Ukrainian rugby clubs?
It is very traditional and a bit old fashioned. Many of the coaches come from a background of where the players do exactly what the coach tells them to do. I know in other countries the coaching is becoming more player centred but our players are very used to the current style and do not complain.
How do players in Ukraine first get involved in rugby?
Normally it is because a family member – father or uncle – played previously. A few of the larger clubs have junior sections but not all. Women’s rugby is becoming more popular especially through sevens. Also people like Oleksandr Prymachenko the national team head coach, are employed by some schools to start and spread rugby. But there is a not a strong tradition of rugby in schools yet.
What was rugby like in Ukraine before the Russian invasion in February 2022?
strong but was dominated for many years by one club in Kharkiv, RC Olymp. The coach of that club was the national team coach and they were the only club that paid their players. This helped attract players from other cities which kept them strong. Just before the war this began to change with other clubs managing to beat them. Unfortunately Kharkiv was invaded by Russia with more than 20,000 buildings destroyed and the rugby club stopped. The Russians have been pushed back and now the rugby club is trying to start again.
How many rugby clubs were there in Ukraine before the invasion and how many still operate now?
Before the invasion there were 12 rugby clubs involved in the leagues, now there are only four still able to operate. There have been no fixtures between clubs and yet we have still to select and try to prepare a squad to play in the European competition. We are hoping some sevens fixtures can happen in the coming months.
What have been the biggest consequences of the invasion on rugby in Ukraine?
There have been many consequences. A lot of the players have either been conscripted or volunteered to join the army. With the age of conscription now moving down from 27 to 25 even more of our players will be called up. The facilities for rugby clubs before were not great and now they are even worse. For example the four rugby clubs that exist in Kyiv have to share one pitch which is actually a soccer pitch. The rugby pitch in Kharchiv has a huge missile crater in the middle of it. Unfortunately in Ukraine the players are now tense at all times. Most days the sirens go off a number of times and you have to stop what you are doing and go down into the shelters until the all clear is given. The biggest consequence is that there are hardly any matches taking place. Trying to put together a national team that is competitive in the Europe Trophy competition has been extremely difficult especially with having to play all our matches away from home.
What are rugby clubs able to do now? Has the role they play changed? Rugby clubs are now becoming almost social centres to give people somewhere to go/something to do to take their mind off the war. At Polytechnic we have raised money and also food and medical supplies to send to those at the front. Holding rugby training twice per week allows people to stay fit and also for a short time forget the war.
What is the current future for ambitious or talented rugby players in Ukraine?
Currently there is little future. Until the war stops I cannot see rugby 15s resuming properly. We hope to play some sevens between clubs from the same city in the next few weeks and there is talk of a sevens tournament between the three main cities. The only thing an ambitious player could do is to illegally leave the country and try to play abroad. This is very dangerous as they would have to leave their family and have no idea if they would be allowed to return in the future.
Ukraine were 33rd in the World Rugby table when the current president came to power eight years ago, they are now 55th. What does the Federation need to do to begin to push the team back up the league table?
Sadly the decline of Ukraine started well before the war began. This saddens me. I am from Georgia and I believe Ukraine has as much, if not more, potential than Georgia had 20 years ago. The cancelled U16, U18 and U20 teams need to be reinstated as these are the future of our adult game. For the adult national team there needs to be a plan in place, communicated to all the clubs, of how we can support our players better despite the current situation. One day the war will end and we must be ready to then begin to rebuild and put Ukraine rugby back to the level it should be at.
Dimitri you are Georgian not Ukrainian, why do you choose to stay in the war zone that is Kyiv?
Steve, I was growing up in Georgia in 1991 when Russia invaded. They did the same thing in 2022. Now living in Ukraine I have seen for the third time Russia start a war. I am 38 years of age and I do not want this to continue. I stay in Kyiv because I want to help defeat the common enemy. I want us to live in peace and to be able to play rugby.