The introduction of the playoff series after the two-round tournament did not allow the intrigue to fade until the very last match of the Russian championship. However, when VVA-Moscow Region defeated another finalist - Krasny Yar - away with a margin of 31 points, there could no longer be two opinions on the future registration of the champion cup. WWA confidently prevailed in the second match of the finals, returning the trophy to Monino after a year's pause.
The Moscow Region team, having beaten two Krasnoyarsk rivals on their field, was unable to keep the winning score away, although it led 17: 8 against Yenisei and 17: 0 against Krasniy Yar. But in the latter case, she achieved a draw, which brought the first team to the playoffs, and, consequently, a weaker opponent in the semifinals, the Moscow “Glory”.
The team of the Second Watch Factory has been occupying an intermediate position between leaders and outsiders in Russian rugby for several years. In the two-round tournament, she lost in all six matches with elite clubs and at the same time she never lost to the teams below her in the standings. At the end of the season, the enchanted circle was broken - but only in matches for third place. And in a dispute with the BBA Muscovites lost to the opponent in all respects: 31 points in the first match and 19 in the second.
Meanwhile, a second finalist was determined in the Krasnoyarsk derby. The principle of rivalry was aggravated by the fact that the leadership of the “Red Yar” demanded that the “Yenisei” score a technical defeat in one of the matches of the regular season for using three undeclared players on the field. In the Professional Rugby League, the protest was rejected because the Yenisei was allowed to draw additional forces from the double - several of its leading rugby players were playing for the Russian team at that time.
As in the regular season, both matches ended in victories for the guests. The handicap received in the first match (+12), “Yenisei” squandered in the second already for a break, allowing the opponent to make two attempts - 0:14. Pavel Novikov from the penalty area narrowed the gap, but the ending nevertheless remained for Krasniy Yar. He became the rival of the BBA in the final.
However, the decisive fights, which were served by the English referees Tim Beddow and Dale Newitt, did not have enough strength and emotions for the Krasnoyarsk residents. Especially at first. At home, they not only lost, but were completely defeated - 8:39. At the beginning of the second leg, Georgy Elizbarashvili tried to get the Siberians out of a state of psychological shock, but to no avail. The final advantage of the BBA again left no doubt in the overall balance of power. Monins four times brought the ball into the opponent's test field (against two attempts at Krasniy Yar), and Viktor Motorin confidently and accurately punched the free-kicks. The final score is 36:12, and the team of the Air Force Academy under the leadership of Nikolai Nerush for the third time in the last four years won the championship of Russia.
And the series of “Glories” for the third place almost became sensational. Having overpowered the Yenisei-STM in Moscow, Vitaly Sorokin’s wards fought to the last and away. The main time of the second match ended in a draw, and Glory equalized in the sixth minute added by the referee! And yet, the ex-champions of Russia did not remain without medals - they pulled out a victory in overtime, and then won a decisive match at a strong-willed jerk. The score 11: 5 indicates that the forces of the players of both teams were already running out, so the end of the season was very welcome.