Spirit of Rugby Award 2024

For 45 year old Bogdan Zhulavsky life will quite literally never be the same again. Bogdan is from the beautiful city of #Odesa in the West of #Ukraine , a region with a proud rugby pedigree. Before the war began, he was the Director of Rugby Club CREDO-1963 and Referee Manager for the Odesa Region.

As a youngster he started his playing career at the age of 11utlimately playing for his Country in both 7s and 15s, winning 5 National Silver Medals and being crowned National Champions in 2007 with his team as well as being voted best referee in 2020, life couldn’t be more different as we head into 2025.

A serious knee injury a few years ago and several surgeries on it has created a personal struggle for Bogdan; being declared unfit for military service due to his injury has truly played on his mind. He is a very proud Ukrainian who is desperate to defend and support his Country but rugby has given him an outlet to do just that.

Bogdan has been working closely with Rugby Club Odesa as well as their amazing and generous benefactors and Management. A series of surgeries as a result of his combat injury over the last 18 months means that he is now classed as “unfit for combat”. Bogdan is just one more casualty of the invasion by Russia into his homeland of Ukraine.

Rugby in Odesa is a shadow of its former self. The playing base has been demolished by the war. Families left the Country in droves (as The Rugby Foundation witnessed just 30 days after the war began), players were called up to fight and quite understandably the player base literally disappeared apart from the “Vets” who were too old to fight and those in reserved occupations.

Military “call-up” ages in Ukraine are at least allowing young people to experience “youth” and “adulthood” in some form at home and this creates a rather unique team composition of Colts, U23s and “old men” all pulling on the same shirt in the same game. Competition is not regular or terribly well structured but the comradeship, the camaraderie and the strength of will brings out the best in the Club, both players and non-players.

It is this “old guard” who have kept teams like RC Odesa going, Bogdan is one of these stalwarts of the game and of RC Odesa. Every rugby club around the world will have people like Bogdan where nothing is too much trouble for them, they are the backbone of every club and their work is invaluable. This was no more evident than in July when TRF visited Moldova and Ukraine. Plans changed as we were on our way to the border as our “lift” to Odesa was called away. Of course it was Bogdan who borrowed the Club President’s car and picked us up.

Despite the damage inflicted on rugby (both directly and indirectly) as a result of the Russian invasion, both the Men’s and Women’s National 7s squads have seen success on the field as they both now compete in the Rugby Europe Sevens Championship (the women gaining promotion in 2023 with a perfect 40 points). There is even more hope for the future of Ukrainian Rugby too, as is evident with the creation and growth of the brand new “Avangard Rugby Club” in Nova Dolena (The New Valley) on the outskirts of Odesa.

Avangard was started last year by Maryna Kyshmar, another former Ukraine Women’s 7s player, within a small school community. As Bogdan took us to visit in July 2024 there were 35 young players of all ages, boys and girls, all training, smiling and enjoying rugby together. Even then, on a sunny day, the war, however far away it seems, has a habit of sending a wake-up call when the sirens sounded and all the children fled to the shelter.

L-R Bogdan, Mike Mulroy from TRF, Maryna from Alangard, Phil Klevorick from TRF

When TRF returned to Ukraine for 10 days in September, Bogdan was once again our guide, driver and translator. The work that TRF is now doing with Avangard to transform an unused area of grass and stones to create a brand new rugby pitch for the young players and create a place that can bring together a splintered community is in no small way due to the exceptional work, spirit and enthusiasm of Bogdan.

What Bogdan does for rugby goes beyond coaching, refereeing, organising BBQs or bringing the team together; Bogdan is working alongside the families of the rugby community who are still fighting, acting as a liaison, helping families in need and visiting areas close to the front line with messages of love and packages from home. In the midst of war, it is this work that is so vital in maintaining people’s spirits and improving mental health. The little things that make a big difference.

Bogdan visits areas close to the front line to support troops

An all round “Rugby Guy”, Bogdan has been involved in other TRF projects, lending a hand here and there, working with the “Sevens Referee” group to gain insights to help develop Match Officials back in Ukraine, sharing his own refereeing experiences and seeking feedback to improve; many people across Europe and the World now call Bogdan a “friend” even though they have never met him face to face.

Bogdan making friends with Ukrainian players in Dubai

TRF and Sevens Referee was able to change that recently when Bogdan was offered an opportunity to travel to the Dubai 7s to work on the Match Official Review Team, filming and analysing performances in the Invitational Competitions. He naturally grasped the chance with both hands and he threw himself into the work learning new skills, listening, observing and gaining experience from some of the best Match Official Coaches from around the World to take back to Ukraine.

Bogdan taking control of the camera mixing desk in Dubai

Naturally Bogdan was universally liked, his spirit, fortitude and smile shining as a beacon of hope, drawing people in and infecting them with is positivity and humour. It is for all of these reasons and for many more that we have chosen Bogdan Zhulavsky as the recipient of