Gloucester remove Russian flag from player’s shirt

The Russian flag was removed from Kirill Gotovtsev’s club shirt after Gloucester expressed regret for it.

National flags have been printed on any Premiership player’s shirts since 2015 if they have been capped internationally.

But a Gloucester statement on Wednesday said that following “internal discussion and Kirill’s blessing” the Russian flag will no longer appear on 37-year-old Gotovtsev’s shirt, while other nations will continue to be recognised.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, World Rugby has outlawed it from international and cross-border competition.

“We remain entirely supportive of World Rugby’s 2022 sanction regarding the conflict in Ukraine”, the club statement said.

Kirill complied fully with World Rugby and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport at the time and continues to do so.

Gloucester is one of the clubs in the West Country who recognizes its international players by having their national flags printed on their shirts, just like Bath, which also has the same design on its shirts.

Gotovtsev, who has played for the Cherry and Whites since 2021 and has made more than 50 Premiership appearances, previously represented his country at the United Rugby Championship and the 2019 World Cup.