MOSCOW, June 8 (R-Sport) – Russia trounced Germany 38-14 Saturday in the first of five pool matches at the rugby sevens Grand Prix Series in Lyon.
The two-day tournament in France is the first leg of the sevens European championship, which wraps up in England in late September. Twelve sides play five games apiece over two days at Lyon’s Matmut Stadium in an event widely seen as a brush-up for the World Cup in Moscow later this month.
In Lyon, Russia have games against Italy, France and 2011 champion Portugal later Saturday before facing Scotland on Sunday. They avoid last year’s winner England in pool play.
Russia has finished fourth the last two years after winning the European championship in 2007 and 2009.
