User:MacRusgail/Sandbox12

Snow rugby refers to a form, or forms, of rugby union, which is/are especially adapted to winter conditions.

It is mostly played around the Baltic, Russia/Siberia, and parts of North America. , Finland, and the USA.

History
Climate was a particular problem for rugby union in the Soviet Union. In 1978, a game in the RSFSR set the record for one of the coldest matches ever to be played. Krasnoyarsk played Polyechika Alma at -23' C. Because Krasnoyarsk had travelled over 2,000 km to be there, the game was not called off. Instead, players resorted to wearing balaclavas, gloves, and several pairs of tracksuits to combat the cold. The extreme climate of the former USSR remains a problem in many regions, with winter sometimes being a split season, or various forms of snow rugby being played.

It continues to be played in Latvia. and other Baltic countries, including Lithuania, Estonia and Finland.

In 2009, Gulmarg in Kashmir hosted a snow rugby tournament.

Snow rugby is probably the only form of rugby to be played in Antarctica.

It is also played in Las Leñas.