Out and About

Moscow Dragons Rugby Club New Year’s party 16 Jan

New Year, new season. The Moscow dragons celebrated the traditional ‘old’ new year in style – a serious training session in the snow, followed by a ‘tequila & piva’ fuelled warm up party in Katie O’Shea’s Irish bar off Prospect Mira. A good members’ turn out, helped by the surprise return of freshly exiled President Damien de Charry, in fine form as ever, and by the need to renew membership and buy ball tickets. And new(d) edition of the Dragon’s famous calendar – remarkable photography of remarkable players and their remarkable kit (or not).

Mine host Steve Conway filled welcoming stomachs with helpings of his famous Irish stew, and hopeful souls enjoyed a feat of televised football and Heineken Cup rugby. By country, the results were reasonably balanced, with English, French and Irish teams sharing the honours. By volume of noise, however, there was no contest, as the vociferous Irish Munster and Leinster fans dominated the cheering, which was fine, and the singing, which wasn’t. Expect much, much more of all of the above when the great Six Nations tournament starts on 6 February (until the climax on 20 March).