The humiliation of Russia at the rugby match in England provoked hysteria in the State Duma. Photo

The English rugby club Gloucester has banned the use of the Russian flag on the uniform of its legionnaire Kirill Gotovtsev in accordance with sanctions imposed by World Rugby over the war in Ukraine. Gotovtsev has been playing for Gloucester since 2021. In the 2023/24 season, he played 12 matches in the English Championship and seven in the Challenge Cup.

The team's management stated that it is aware of the possible consequences of using the Russian flag on the player's uniform and apologizes for any offense. At the same time, it is noted that the 2015 Russian champion cooperates with international rugby organizations and adheres to all established restrictions.

The decision to leave the uniforms without the Russian flag caused a real hysteria on the part of State Duma deputy Dmitry Svishchev. He called the club's actions discrimination and expressed doubts that the 37-year-old from Tula had voluntarily agreed to this decision.

"Russophobia hasn't gone away, our athletes are suffering again for no reason. I am sincerely sorry that this is still happening," Svishchev said in an interview with Match TV.

At the same time, Gloucester assured that no flags will be used on the team's uniforms in future matches this season to avoid further controversy.

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