AK-47s, marijuana fields and the mafia: Marty Banks opens up on his 'crazy' Russian rugby experience
Before Marty Banks earned cult hero status in New Zealand for his exploits with Tasman and the Highlanders, the seasoned playmaker began his professional rugby career in the unlikeliest of destinations – Russia.
Much has been made of Banks and his colourful journeyman-like career that has seen him play across New Zealand, as well as in Italy and Japan, where he is currently based with the NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes.
Prior to all of that, though, the 31-year-old was forced to look abroad for playing opportunities with vacancies in New Zealand’s professional ranks far and few between.
That led to an opening in 2011 with Krasny Yar, one of Russia’s premier rugby clubs based out of the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk.
Then aged 21, Banks received the opportunity through current All Blacks assistant coach Brad Mooar, who at the time was working for the Canterbury Rugby Union.
Banks had initially planned to move to Christchurch to join Canterbury’s academy system after an unsuccessful attempt to crack the North Harbour provincial side, but instead signed a short-term deal with Krasny Yar.
What transpired was a five-month experience that he described on the What a Lad podcast, hosted by former Hurricanes utility back James Marshall, as “crazy”, “ridiculous” and “eye-opening”.
“Russia was just a whole different ball game,” Banks said as he recalled a story of how he shot AK-47s around fields of cannabis.
“We went to this area, it was owned by the CEO or something like that, and it was sort of just like this big, open piece of land that had a few houses on it, and it turned out that it was just the bosses of the city, like the head of police and stuff like that.
“It was sort of like a holiday destination where they could go and just get locked into their own gates, so you and I can’t just walk on in there unless we’ve been invited.
“I remember going in there and there were just AK-47s that we could shoot into the water, marijuana growing like wildfire. It was ridiculous.
“There were literally no rules. I guess the only rule was don’t do anything stupid to harm anyone else. It was just eye-opening.
“There were people out shooting bears and bringing them back with their skins and stuff like this. It was just ridiculous.”
Dillyn Leyds believes staging this year's British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa in Australia "would be the biggest disappointment in South African rugby history".https://t.co/QXdx1tjXGR
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The madness wasn’t limited to guns, weed and bears, as Banks discovered when he found out his club had ties to Russian organised crime.
“There were always links to the mafia, like we’d been told by other people outside of the club that the club had ties to the mafia and all this sort of stuff,” he said.
Banks’ suspicions about Krasny Yar’s links to the Russian mafia grew stronger when he was told some of their members watched the club’s matches from a room with tinted windows at the team’s home ground.
“We had a grandstand on the left-hand side of the field and on the right-hand side was the office block, but there was a blacked out, literally tinted out, room above the office block,” Banks told the What a Lad podcast.
“The only way you could get in there was, like there were no steps to it outside, it was just a tunnel, like you go in it via a tunnel.
“You could just see, obviously with tinted windows you can still see through them but you don’t know really what’s behind them, but you can see people in there, and we were told that this is where some of the mafia were sitting, and it was just like, ‘Holy hecker’.
“Whether they were there or not, I don’t know, this is just stuff that we got fed, but when you get handed a bag of cash at the end of your contract, you start to wonder.
“They told me it was because I didn’t have my bank account setup properly, but I know the team now, they’re in the second division European comp [European Challenge Cup] I think, so obviously a lot of that has to be ironed out, the money side of it.”
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Those links to the Russian underworld became a source of concern for Banks upon his return to New Zealand after he spoke of his time in Siberia during a television interview.
“The thing was, when I did the interview, it got posted in Russia, and I got a message from this rugby page in Russia saying, ‘We remember you Marty Banks’ with a wink, and then I woke up and clicked on the page, but the post had been removed,” he told Marshall.
“Obviously someone had told them to take it down, so I was getting a little bit sketchy about it.”
Nevertheless, Banks looked back on his Russian experience fondly, adding that while he ruled out going back to the country in a playing capacity, he would be eager to return for a holiday.
“It was a great place. You think about Russia and you’re like, ‘Why the hell would I go there’, but… if I was in a better position rugby-wise, I definitely wouldn’t have gone, but having the opportunity to go somewhere like that, it shaped you as a person.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Oh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
26 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
2 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
2 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
7 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
5 Go to commentsI know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
5 Go to commentsHey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂
5 Go to commentsNot sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
26 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to commentsJason Jenkins has one cap. When Etzebeth was his age he had over 80 caps. Experience matters. He will never amount to what Etzebeth has because he hasn’t been developed as an international player.
2 Go to commentsSays much about the player picking this gig over the easier and bigger rewards offered to him in Japan. Also says a lot about the state sanctioned tax benefits the Irish Revenue offers pro rugby players, with their ten highest earning years subject to an additional 40% tax relief and paid as a lump sum, in cash, at retirement. Certainly helps Leinster line up the financial ducks in a row to fund marquee signings like this!!! No other union anywhere in world rugby benefits from this kind of lucrative financial sponsorship from their government…
5 Go to commentsTrue Jordie could earn a lot more in Japan. But by choosing Leinster he’ll be playing with 1 of the best clubs in the world and can win a champions cup and URC…..
6 Go to commentsThanks for that Marshy, noticed you didn't say who is gonna win it. We know who ain't gonna win it - your Crusaders outfit. They've gone from having arguably the best Super Rugby first five ever, to having a clutch of rookies. Hurricanes all the way!
1 Go to commentsGeez you really have to question the NRLs ability to produce players of quality. Its pathetic. Dont the 25mil in Aus produce enough quality womens players. Sad.
1 Go to commentsBulls fan here, and agree 100% with the conclusion (and little else) of this article. SA sides should absolutely f-off from the champs cup until we get fair scheduling, equal support for travel arrangements and home semis. You know, like all the european teams get.
26 Go to commentsI’m yet to see why Grace would be an ABs contender. He’s pedestrian and lacks the dominance required of a top flight 8.
11 Go to commentsGee my Highlanders were terrible. They have gone backwards since the start of the season. The trouble began when we left Millar behind to prep as the 10 against the Brumbies and he was disconnected from the team that came back from Aussie. We rested Patchell for that game and we blew an avalanche of ball in good attacking positions in the 1st half. Against the Rebels we seem to of gone into a pod system with forwards hanging off from the breakdown leaving Fakatava to secure our ball!
80 Go to comments