MAI Rugby Championship
Since 2011, in order to attract more students to participate in this exciting sport, the University started to hold the Rugby Championship and schools’ Cups in touch rugby – a form of rugby in which players do not tackle each other.
In December 2017, School No. 1 “Aircraft Engineering” held its School Cup. What was peculiar about that cup was that a team of international students played along with Russian students of different years of studies. There were a total of 6 teams, with one or two experienced rugby players in each, other players were amateurs who had attended several introductory trainings.
In March 2018 a similar School Cup was held for School No. 6 “Spacecraft Engineering”. 6 mixed teams of students from all years of studies took part, as well as an international team.
Finally, on Saturday, March 17, the University Championship in touch rugby among school teams took place. The following school teams participated:
- School No. 2 “Propulsion Engineering”;
- School No. 3 “Control Systems and Computer Science in Engineering;
- School No. 5 "Engineering Economics and Humanities";
- School No. 6 “Spacecraft Engineering”;
- School No. 1 “Aircraft Engineering”;
- Team of international students of MAI;
- Team of MAI sports club.
Teams were divided by lot into two groups, in which they played in a circular system. Then, the semi-finals were held according to the "criss-cross" system, and then the final games.
The competition was heated and uncompromising. In the A group, three teams got 7 points each, and only the difference in successful and unsuccessful attempts allowed to place the teams.
The results in the A group were the following: 1st place – School No. 6, 2nd place – School No. 1, 3rd place – team of MAI sports club, 4th place – School No. 3.
In group B things were much more clear: 1st place – School No. 5, 2nd place – School No. 2, 3rd place – team of international students of MAI.
In the semi-finals, the School No. 6 team beat the School No. 2 team, the School No. 1 team confidently beat the School No. 5 team, and the School No. 3 team beat the team of international students.
Since there was no 8th team, the team of international students took the 7th place. In the contest for the 5th place the team of MAI sports club beat the School No. 3 team with a score of 6:4.
In a grind for the bronze medal between the teams of School No. 2 and School No. 5, the “economists” won 6:5. Teams of Schools No. 6 and No. 1 fought for the first place, and the victory was taken by the experienced team of School No. 1.
As a result of the championship held, School No. 1 “Aircraft Engineering” got gold, School No. 6 “Spacecraft Engineering” got silver, School No. 5 "Engineering Economics and Humanities" got bronze. Players of those teams also received memorable gifts. Best players of all teams were awarded with certificates.
We would like to highlight that the final game for the first place was held between the teams that had internal competitions and as a result put together strong teams.
The international team
The team of international students deserves a special mention. It was created in 2010 specifically to include MAI students from Malaysia in the competition.
Students enjoyed the idea of having their own team so much that soon the Malaysian team demonstrated the whole seriousness of their intentions by taking part in the Moscow Championship.
For 6 years, the MAI rugby team confidently triumphs in the Malaysian students’ sports competitions which take place annually all over Russia. The athletes reached such a high level that they regularly get into the MAI main team.
This year we had the honor to have among the spectators a representative of the Embassy of Malaysia.
Students from Benin, Egypt, Botswana and Bangladesh joined the team this year, which has made it truly international.
