The Cup for the first place among women's teams and the diploma for the second place in the men's tournament – this is the result of the debut season for the "academicians" in the Student Rugby League of the Republic.
In early autumn, just two months, a graduate of the Volga region sports Academy, ex-player of the most famous Kazan Rugby team "Dynamo-Energy" and a representative of the youth team of Russia Andrey Polikarpov, managed to gather the men's and women's Rugby team of the University-7. 99% they consisted of students who had never taking into the hands of the Rugby ball the melon. This did not prevent the girls from immediately winning the first championship of The student Rugby League of the RT, and the guys to take second place, losing the leadership of the kspeu team – the base University "Dynamo-Energy".
In the games of the final round, which determined the winners of the championship of the Student Rugby League of Tatarstan, the result for the "academicians" has not changed. The men's team failed underestimation of rivals. In the first round, they lost in the semifinals to KNITU-KAI, who had won three times before. And then suffered an unfortunate defeat from the kgau: were in the course of the match in the score, but allowed the "farmers" to transfer the game into overtime. "We relaxed, played well the day before, lost concentration, made a number of mistakes, lost the ball in harmless situations," - stated after the match Andrey Polikarpov. In the end 4th place and a very doubtful chance at the championship. After working on the mistakes, two weeks later the guys made up for lost time, winning all the matches of the tour. Including, in a decisive duel beat leaders - students of the Kazan tank school. Alas, even this victory was not enough to displace the tankers from the top.
It's a pity, because for the sake of this victory, Andrei Polikarpov sacrificed a trip to St. Petersburg for the final of the all-Russian student games: "I Think it's too early for the guys to go, because there are teams from the top League of the Russian championship. For the sake of experience it was worth playing there, but we could be left without the main players due to injuries, and the bench is still a bit short."
A ticket to the finals in St. Petersburg, "academicians" won in Ulyanovsk, taking third place in the student championship of the Volga Federal district in Rugby-7. On the way to the playoffs, the students won two confident victories over Vyatsu (21:12) and UlSTU (19:0). But in the semifinals lost to fellow countrymen from kgau with the score 22:14. In the "bronze" final "academics" defeated chgu (38:7).
Girls at the Federal level looked a cut above their opponents, scoring victories in all matches. Confident debut of the women's team of the Academy Polikarpov explains not too high competition:
- Women's Rugby is not as well developed as men's. There are fewer women's teams. Many guys play in different tournaments and leagues, and the girls can be counted on the fingers. In addition, our team is played by female athletes, albeit from other sports, but significantly superior to rivals in physical form. However, in terms of the ability to play Rugby students add to the eyes. Nastasya Solovyova, for example, "finished" to the Russian team. Learn to play Rugby "in an adult" and the rest of the "academics". 
- The team continues to grow, the guys work out all the new techniques, carefully understand the rules, - says Polikarpov. - Prevents the volatility of the composition. The first was an acute shortage of girls, and boys was it possible for the game to change almost everyone. Now the situation has changed, the girls scored a good and versatile composition, the boys for the winter it has changed. I am glad that the new guys are not inferior in talent and hard work to the departed.
Bright confirmation to words of the trainer the freshman Sergey Antonov, the judoist and the sumo wrestler who decided to test himself in Rugby. In one of the matches, he made a breakthrough through half the field, issued a spectacular skid ball. "In my memory, this is the best debutant - said Polikarpov. - And after all was only on two trainings. And so plays!»
 The coach of "academicians" hopes that the success of the team will contribute to the growth of the popularity of the sport and the influx of newcomers to the team. "The set is hampered by the stereotype that in Rugby, like in American football, everyone breaks each other. This is a completely wrong perception. Affects the fact that Rugby in Russia is only gaining momentum. The student tournament and the teams are progressing. Next season, I am sure, will be very interesting, and our teams can set themselves more serious tasks".