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Gallagher Premiership

Val Rapava-Ruskin pledges his commitment with new deal

By Grant Constable

24 Jan 2024

GLOUCESTER, ENGLAND - AUGUST 16: Val Rapava-Ruskin of Gloucester Rugby poses for a portrait during the squad photocall for the 2023-2024 Gallagher Premiership Rugby season on August 16, 2023 in Gloucester, England. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Gloucester Rugby have today revealed that prop forward Val Rapava-Ruskin has signed a new long term deal.

Rapava-Ruskin joined the Cherry & Whites in 2017 after a spell with Worcester Warriors and has gone on to represent the Club over 100 times.

The all-action prop was in fantastic form last season and was statistically the best-performing prop in the league in a number of areas before his season-ending injury against Leicester Tigers in March.

Rapava-Ruskin made 16 appearances across the campaign, including a Player of the Round performance in Round 12 of the Gallagher Premiership against Northampton Saints.

His efforts earned him recognition from the Gloucester Rugby fans, who voted him Supporters’ Stowford Press Player of the Season and fellow players, who voted him Players’ Player of the Season.

Injury has hampered his start to the 2023/24 season, but the 31-year-old is making a gradual return to injury, with hope he’ll be available after the Six Nations break.

🗣️ “It’s a very special place for me…”
Val Rapava-Ruskin explains why he feels right at home in Cherry & White. 🍒#ThisIsMyHolm pic.twitter.com/JBK4MHtcHt
— Gloucester Rugby 🍒 (@gloucesterrugby) January 24, 2024

Director of Rugby, George Skivington, said: “Val was a really important part of the squad last season and that was recognised with his end of season awards.

“He’s worked really hard to develop his game over the last couple of seasons in particular, so we’re pleased to keep him here at Kingsholm.

“Val and our medical staff are doing everything they can to get him back on the pitch, and I’m sure that when he’s fully fit again, he’ll pick up where he left off before his injury.”

🎨 Art is never finished…
…and neither is Val Rapava-Ruskin! ✍️#ThisIsMyHolm pic.twitter.com/zKJPAou0Gg
— Gloucester Rugby 🍒 (@gloucesterrugby) January 24, 2024

Rapava-Ruskin commented: “This is a very special place for me, you don’t stay somewhere for seven years if you don’t feel like it’s your home. It’s a sentimental feeling when I come here every day.

“I’d like to try and bring some silverware to this Club. For all the time and belief they’ve given to me, that’s the one thing I want to do whilst I’m here.

“I feel like I’m progressing here, and I still feel like I have much more to give this team.”

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It was based on Leinster’s performances over the course of this season, and on their trophy. If Bordeaux beat Toulouse then I’ll change my mind and move them to first. But as it is I expect Bordeaux, Toulouse, and Leinster to all finish with one trophy each, and with Leinster having produced the best week-on-week performances of the three.

“One of those teams won the league in each of those years so yes they were worse. If I was a fan of either of those four teams I would rather have been a fan of a team that won a trophy than didn’t.”

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“You contradict yourself alot. Trophies matter in one post and in the same post coming second consistently makes you better.”

Its going to get really frustrating if you’re not willing to read what I write. I said: “Trophies matter. They matter a lot. But so does winning games. So does making finals.” How does that contradict my assessment that Leinster were better than Stormers?

“I doubt Leinster would say they have been the better team in any of the seasons you keep going on about.”

Teams generally downplay talk of them being the best, so that wouldn’t surprise me. But crucially I don’t think Leinster were the best team in 2022, or in 2023, or in 2024, so I’m not sure what you think you’re responding to.

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