On the creation of an underwater rugby tournament for the first time, I thought in 2005, following my first major international tournament – the European Championships in Helsinki. Of course, I didn’t think at the time that it would be called the Euroleague. I and Viktor Krylov were 18 years old and we played in the team that lost all the games and hadn’t scored any goals, so even if we had any master plan to create a new league we would not have anyone to listen, and moreover let us play in this league. Therefore, all was limited by our reasoning that the level of the major international competitions in underwater rugby is very low and this approach will never be able to bring the sport to a new level.
As time passed, our youth team won three European Championships (2007,2008,2009), essentially as the same team we played in adult tournaments.It is not difficult to guess that among youth teams our prestige was high, someone might not have liked us, but the reigning champion was respected. In 2008 for the first time, we discussed the creation of an underwater rugby league with Iver (Iver Bjornerem, in 2006 and 2007 captain of the youth team of Norway, the 2008 coach of Norway, and the World Champion in 2011). He very positively perceived our ideas, and it was evident that the three of us think in the same direction. However, even Iver, who played at that point in the main squad of the national team of Norway, which is constantly fighting for first place in all competitions, hadn’t an opportunity to promote our ideas.
In August 2010 died our friend, Captain of the golden junior team in 2008 – Nikita Semenov. Thinking of rugby in that year was unbearable, but we found strength and in September held the first game of the Semenov Cup between the two best Russian teams Betta (Moscow) and Aquanavt (Tula). The drawing of the tournament ended on 12 December 2010. And here we realized that the Semenov Cup may not meet our most demanding dreams of an international league, but this is really the best of all international tournaments, which we visited. In 2011 began, perhaps, the real work on the League, but it was slow and perhaps even half-heartedly because along the way we had to solve the problems of financing the club, the organization of the training process, and more. However, by November 2011, we had various options for the calendar, a list of teams that we see in this tournament, and the name European Underwater Rugby League appeared just then. In general, everything was ready, except only the financial part, because we understood that if we make this tournament with prize money, no one would reject. But we decided to take the risk and submit a draft of our league to six teams that we’ve seen in this league. Molde (Norway) Malmo (Sweden) PI (Denmark) Bamberg (Germany) Hameenlinna (Finland). The sixth team was our – Betta. We did it at the Champions Cup on November 26, 2011. The moment was a success-we beat one of the leaders, and most importantly the potential participant of the Euroleague- Malmö and proceeded from the group of death into the semifinals. As a result, fourth place in the European Champions Cup and, perhaps, at the very moment we turned from the young and hopeful team in European eyes to the team claiming medals. Although they may have not considered so.
And then began the letters from the teams with questions and ideas, we went to the little trick of saying Euroleague will surely be as Hameenlinna and Betta have already agreed to play. Deadline for application was May 2012. Swedes from Malmo were first to respond, in December 2011,and by the constructive questions that they asked, it became clear that the guys are serious. In January, the website euwrl.com was registered. By May, we received applications from Molde (Norway) Malmo (Sweden) Hameenlinna (Finland), and Betta. The calendar was ready and match dates and locations of the rounds.
As well as all the financial elements, the entry fee, payment for the rent of the pools, video, and more. Also was approved and started to work the management system of the Euroleague. It included four managers, one from each team, with equal rights. In June, we received a letter from the team Flipper (Denmark) to include them in the Euroleague. All 4 managers voted unanimously – agree. So in the Euroleague appeared the fifth team.
Everything was going suspiciously well, honestly, presenting the league in November 2011, we never dreamed that in 2012 we hold the first round. And my fears that all is suspiciously well, came true. In late August or a little more than a month before the start, the Finnish team refused to participate. All in all, anything can be played with 4 teams, not 5. But the first round was to be held right in Finland. Instead, we tried to arrange a tour instead of the Finnish tour, in Copenhagen, but Flipper failed to negotiate the pool rent in such a short period of time. There was only one option to carry out the round in Finland, we have the benefit of 10 years of participation in the Finnish league and we were well acquainted with the country. But imposed another unpleasant moment of agreement- to pay the rent of water was the organizer of the home round. So now the Finnish round was home for Betta. We tried to rent the cheapest pool in Tampere, but he was busy on the desired date. In the end, we managed to negotiate only with the most expensive place – a swimming pool in Hameenlinna. All this took about 2 weeks and the rest of the teams were visibly nervous, the Norwegian team even proposed to postpone the launch until next year. But we were able to convince everyone that it is necessary to begin now.
On October 6, 2012, in the Finnish city of Hämeenlinna, we held the first-ever round of the Euroleague, and on the side of the pool for all games stood the Semenov Cup – the main prize.
Everything was going suspiciously well, honestly, presenting the league in November 2011, we never dreamed that in 2012 we hold the first round. And my fears that all is suspiciously well, came true. In late August or a little more than a month before the start, the Finnish team refused to participate. All in all, anything can be played with 4 teams, not 5. But the first round was to be held right in Finland. Instead, we tried to arrange a tour instead of the Finnish tour, in Copenhagen, but Flipper failed to negotiate the pool rent in such a short period of time. There was only one option to carry out the round in Finland, we have the benefit of 10 years of participation in the Finnish league and we were well acquainted with the country. But imposed another unpleasant moment of agreement- to pay the rent of water was the organizer of the home round. So now the Finnish round was home for Betta. We tried to rent the cheapest pool in Tampere, but he was busy on the desired date. In the end, we managed to negotiate only with the most expensive place – a swimming pool in Hameenlinna. All this took about 2 weeks and the rest of the teams were visibly nervous, the Norwegian team even proposed to postpone the launch until next year. But we were able to convince everyone that it is necessary to begin now.
On October 6, 2012, in the Finnish city of Hämeenlinna, we held the first-ever round of the Euroleague, and on the side of the pool for all games stood the Semenov Cup – the main prize.
Written by Anton Churzin in the year 2013.
