2015 Rugby World Cup qualifying, Regional qualification
Seven of the final eight places were assigned to different regions by the IRB; the last place was decided by a repechage series.


2015 Rugby World Cup qualifying, Regional qualification
Regional Qualification began on 24 March 2012, when Mexico hosted and defeated Jamaica in Mexico City. The match was refereed by Craig Joubert, who refereed the 2011 Rugby World Cup Final.


2015 Rugby World Cup qualifying, Regional qualification
In all, 96 national teams have been involved in the 2015 World Cup - 12 as automatic qualifiers and 84 as entrants in the qualification rounds.


2015 Rugby World Cup qualifying, Regional qualification
*One additional team, Cameroon, withdrew prior to playing any games. †During the qualification cycle, FIRA–AER changed its name to Rugby Europe.


2015 Rugby World Cup qualifying, Regional qualification, Repechage qualification
Following the end of the regional qualification process, four teams (one from each region, except Oceania) took part in the Repechage process for the final spot at the Rugby World Cup. The final was played over a two-match home and away basis. The team with the higher aggregate score, Uruguay, became the 20th and final team at the 2015 Rugby World Cup.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads
The 2015 Rugby World Cup was an international rugby union tournament held in England and Wales from 18 September until 31 October 2015. 20 national teams competed, each bringing a squad of 31 players to the tournament. Each team had to submit their squad to World Rugby by 31 August 2015. A player could be replaced for medical or compassionate reasons, but would be unable to return to the squad. Any replacement players had an enforced stand-down period of 48 hours before they could take the field.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads
Players marked (c) were the nominated captains for their teams. All details, such as number of international caps and player age, are as of the opening day of the tournament on 18 September 2015.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool A, Australia
1 On 29 September, Sam Carter and James Hanson were called up to the squad to replace Will Skelton and Wycliff Palu, injured during Australia's game with Uruguay.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool A, England
1 On 28 September, Nick Easter was called up to the squad to replace Billy Vunipola, injured during England's game with Wales.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool A, Fiji
1 On 25 September, Timoci Nagusa was called up to the squad to replace Waisea Nayacalevu, injured during Fiji's game with Australia.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool A, Fiji
2 On 27 September, Taniela Koroi was called up to the squad to replace Isei Colati, injured during Fiji's game with Australia.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool A, Wales
After injuries to Rhys Webb and Leigh Halfpenny during Wales' warm-up match against Italy, Mike Philips and Eli Walker were called up to replace the injured duo.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool A, Wales
On 14 September, Eli Walker was released from the squad following injury and was replaced with Ross Moriarty.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool A, Wales
1 On 21 September, Tyler Morgan was called up to the squad to replace Cory Allen who tore his hamstring in Wales's opening win against Uruguay.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool A, Wales
2 On 28 September, Gareth Anscombe and James Hook were called up to the squad to replace Hallam Amos and Scott Williams who were injured in Wales's win against England.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool A, Wales
3 On 11 October, Liam Williams was ruled out of the World Cup having suffered an injury against Australia, and Eli Walker re-joined the squad to replace him. Walker was allowed to re-join the squad, as he was released from the team before Wales officially arrived in tournament.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool B, Samoa
On 24 August, Faifili Levave was called up to replace Fa'atiga Lemalu who withdrew due to injury.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool B, Samoa
On 11 September, Census Johnston was called up to replace Logovi'i Mulipola.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool B, Scotland
On 14 September, Kevin Bryce replaced Stuart McInally in the squad following injury.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool B, Scotland
1 On 29 September, Blair Cowan replaced Grant Gilchrist in the squad following injury.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool B, Scotland
2 On 17 October, Rory Sutherland replaced Ryan Grant in the squad following injury.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool B, South Africa
1 On 27 September, Jan Serfontein was called up to the squad to replace captain Jean de Villiers, injured during South Africa's game with Samoa.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool B, United States
On 1 September, the United States named their 31-man squad.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool B, United States
On 3 September, Scott LaValla was replaced by Matt Trouville following an injury suffered in training.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool C, Argentina
Hours after the 31-man squad was announced, Matías Díaz suffered an injury and was replaced in the squad by Juan Pablo Orlandi.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool C, Argentina
1 On 15 October, Juan Figallo was called up to the squad to replace Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro after he suffered an injury in training.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool C, Argentina
2 Due to an injury to Agustín Creevy, usual prop Lucas Noguera Paz will cover hooker from the bench against South Africa in the Bronze Final. However, an injury sustained in training for prop Marcos Ayerza ruled him out of the Bronze Final the day before the match, and Santiago García Botta was called up as his replacement. As there was no further cover for prop, García Botta was cleared to play in the match, despite the stand-down period of 48 hours before an injury replacement can take the field, though he is only permitted to play if absolutely required.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool C, Georgia
1 On 29 September, Anton Peikrishvili was called up to the squad to replace Davit Kubriashvili, injured during Georgia's game with Argentina.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool C, New Zealand
1 On 10 October, Joe Moody was called up to the squad to replace Tony Woodcock, injured during New Zealand's game with Tonga.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool C, New Zealand
2 On 29 October, Pauliasi Manu was called up to the squad to replace Wyatt Crockett, injured during New Zealand's game with France.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool C, Tonga
On 18 August, Tonga announced their 30-man squad, with an additional player yet to be named.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool C, Tonga
On 31 August, Tonga announced the 31st player to complete their squad.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool D, Canada
On 10 September, Jake Ilnicki was called up to replace the injured Jason Marshall.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool D, Canada
1 On 24 September, James Pritchard was called up to the squad to replace Liam Underwood, injured during Canada's opening game with Ireland.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool D, Canada
2 On 28 September, Pat Parfrey was called up to the squad to replace Connor Braid, injured during Canada's game with Italy.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool D, France
1 On 20 September, Rémy Grosso was called up to the squad to replace Yoann Huget, injured during France's opening game with Italy.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool D, Ireland
1 On 10 October, Jared Payne was ruled out of the World Cup having suffered an injury against Romania. He was replaced by Issac Boss on 17 October 2015.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool D, Ireland
2 On 12 October, Rhys Ruddock was called into replace Peter O'Mahony, who was ruled out of the World Cup having suffered knee ligament damage against France.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool D, Ireland
3 On 13 October, Mike McCarthy was called into replace Paul O'Connell, ruled out of the World Cup after tearing his hamstring during the group stage victory over France.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool D, Italy
On 1 September, Simone Favaro was called up to the squad to replace the injured Angelo Esposito.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool D, Italy
On 10 September, Enrico Bacchin was called up to the squad to replace the injured Luca Morisi.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool D, Italy
1 On 21 September, Michele Visentin was called up to the squad to replace Andrea Masi, injured during Italy's opening game with France.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool D, Italy
2 On 5 October, Alberto De Marchi and Andrea Lovotti were called up to the squad to replace the injured Martin Castrogiovanni and Michele Rizzo.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Squads, Pool D, Romania
1 On 29 September, Vlad Nistor was called up to the squad to replace Ovidiu Tonita, injured during Romania's game with Ireland.


2015 Rugby World Cup squads, Player statistics
All statistics are to the original 31-man squad as of 18 September 2015. Statistics do not include players who joined a squad during the tournament.


2015 Rugby World Cup statistics
This article documents the statistics of the 2015 Rugby World Cup which took place in England from 18 September to 31 October.


2015 Rugby World Cup statistics, Team statistics
The following table shows the team's results in major statistical categories.


2015 Rugby World Cup statistics, Hat-tricks
Unless otherwise noted, players in this list scored a hat-trick of tries.


2015 Rugby World Cup statistics, Discipline, Citing/bans
For the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Citing Commissioner Warnings carry the same weight as a yellow card.


2015 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches
The 2015 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches were a series of rugby union test matches that took place in August and September 2015, as the 20 competing teams prepared for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.


2015 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches
For most teams, their preparation kicked off in August after various training camps before the squad announcement deadline date of 31 August. Uruguay were the first to begin their warm-up campaign at the start of August, playing three tests: first against an Argentina XV, and then a two-test series against Japan, before playing an uncapped match against a Basque Selection team. Wales and reigning Six Nations champions Ireland followed suit a week later, with the first game of a home and away series, after which Wales played Italy, just days after they announced their final World Cup team. Hosts England played a home and away test series against France before they played Ireland in London. Both Ireland and France played Scotland at home, while Scotland played a home and away test series against the Italians.


2015 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches
With a reduced 2015 Rugby Championship, participants Argentina hosted South Africa, while reigning World Cup champions New Zealand hosted Australia for the second Bledisloe Cup match of 2015. En route to the World Cup, the Wallabies stopped off in the United States to play their national team for the first time on American soil since 1976. The United States also hosted English club side Harlequins, while they also faced Canada in Ottawa. Canada additionally hosted Pro12 champions Glasgow Warriors, before they faced Georgia and Fiji at a neutral venue in the United Kingdom, which also hosted Georgia's encounter with Japan. Glasgow's Scottish counterparts Edinburgh, faced Romania, who also took on Tonga for just their second time in their history.


2015 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches
Aside from Harlequins, other English clubs faced international opposition, when Newcastle Falcons faced Georgia, Leicester Tigers faced Argentina, Yorkshire Carnegie played Romania and Wasps hosted Samoa. Samoa were the first international rugby union team to play at the Olympic Stadium in London, when they faced the Barbarians, with most of that team haven played for a World XV side against Japan a week earlier.


2015 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches, Fixtures, Week 2
Touch judges:Pascal Gauzère (France)Mathieu Raynal (France)Television match official:Graham Hughes (England)


2015 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches, Fixtures, Week 3
Touch judges:Wayne Barnes (England)Federico Anselmi (Argentina)Television match official:Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)


2015 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches, Fixtures, Week 3
Touch judges:Jérôme Garcès (France)Marius Mitrea (Italy)Television match official:Graham Hughes (England)


2015 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches, Fixtures, Week 3
Touch judges:George Clancy (Ireland)Leighton Hodges (Wales)Television match official:Simon McDowell (Ireland)


2015 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches, Fixtures, Week 3
Touch judges:Romain Poite (France)Mike Fraser (New Zealand)Television match official:George Ayoub (Australia)


2015 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches, Fixtures, Week 4
Touch judges:Nigel Owens (Wales)Luke Pearce (England)Television match official:Graham Hughes (England)


2015 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches, Fixtures, Week 4
Touch judges:John Lacey (Ireland)Marius Mitrea (Italy)Television match official:Simon McDowell (Ireland)


2015 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches, Fixtures, Week 5
Touch judges:Wayne Barnes (England)Luke Pearce (England)Television match official:Graham Hughes (England)


2015 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches, Fixtures, Week 5
Touch judges:Greg Garner (England)Paul Dix (England)Television match official:Sean Davey (England)


2015 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches, Fixtures, Week 5
Touch judges:JP Doyle (England)Mathieu Raynal (France)Television match official:Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)


2015 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches, Fixtures, Week 6
Touch judges:Romain Poite (France)Leighton Hodges (Wales)Television match official:Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)


2015 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches, Fixtures, Week 6
Touch judges:Marius Mitrea (Italy)Tom Foley (England)Television match official:Simon Adams (England)


2015 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches, Fixtures, Week 6
Touch judges:Greg Garner (England)Dudley Phillips (Ireland)Television match official:Simon McDowell (Ireland)


2015 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches, Fixtures, Week 6
Touch judges:JP Doyle (England)Luke Pearce (England)Television match official:Graham Hughes (England)


2015 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches, Fixtures, Week 6
Touch judges:Joaquín Montes (Uruguay)Dave Smortchevsky (Canada)Television match official:Andrew McMaster (Canada)


2015 Rugby World Cup – Africa qualification
The Africa section of 2015 Rugby World Cup qualifying saw thirteen teams competing for one direct qualification spot into the final tournament in England, and one spot in the Repechage play-offs.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Africa qualification, Format
The Africa Cup, run by the Confederation of African Rugby (CAR), was the regional qualification tournament for Rugby World Cup 2015, with Divisions 1A, 1B and 1C involved in the process. The 2012 Divisions 1B and 1C acted as the qualification matches in Round 1, with the Division 1C winner being promoted to Division 1B for the second round in 2013, while the bottom placed team in Division 1B was relegated to 1C and eliminated from Rugby World Cup contention. 2013 saw Divisions 1A and 1B act as the qualification matches in Round 2.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Africa qualification, Format
The top three teams of Division 1A remained in that same division for the final round in 2014, to be joined by the winner of Division 1B in 2013. The teams that did not win Division 1B or were relegated out of 1A were eliminated from Rugby World Cup qualification. Namibia, the winner of Round 3, or Division 1A, in 2014 qualified for the 2015 Rugby World Cup as Africa 1, while the runner-up, Zimbabwe, entered the Repechage for a second chance to qualify.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Africa qualification, Entrants
Thirteen teams competed for the 2015 Rugby World Cup – Africa qualification. Shown in parentheses are the teams' world rankings prior to the first African qualification match on 4 July 2012.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Africa qualification, Round 1
The first round consisted of nine matches between nine teams. The winner of the Africa Cup Division 1C (Round 1B), advanced to the second round and was promoted to Division 1B for 2013, while the top three teams in CAR Division 1B (Round 1A), also advanced into the second round.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Africa qualification, Round 1, Round 1A: 2012 Africa Cup Division 1B
The 2012 Africa Cup Division 1B took place in Madagascar at Mahamasina Stadium in Antananarivo on 4 July and 8 July. The champion, Madagascar, was promoted up to Division 1A thus advancing to Round 2B. Namibia and Senegal remained in Division 1B for 2013, advancing to Round 2A. Morocco was eliminated from Rugby World Cup, by virtue of being relegated to Division 1C for 2013.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Africa qualification, Round 1, Round 1B: 2012 Africa Cup Division 1C
The 2012 Africa Cup Division 1C took place in Botswana at UB Stadium in Gaborone from 22 July to 28 July. The champions, Botswana, were promoted up to Division 1B for 2013, thus advancing to Round 2A. Ivory Coast, Mauritius, Zambia and Nigeria were eliminated from Rugby World Cup qualifying.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Africa qualification, Round 2
The second round consisted of eight matches featuring the top eight teams in Africa outside of South Africa. The top three teams of CAR Division 1A advanced to the third round, while the winner of CAR Division 1B was promoted to Division 1A thus advancing to the third round.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Africa qualification, Round 2, Round 2A: 2013 Africa Cup Division 1B
The 2013 Africa Cup Division 1B took place in Senegal at Stade Iba Mar Diop in Dakar on 11 June and 15 June. The champions, Namibia, were promoted to Division 1A to Round 3, while Botswana, Senegal and Tunisia were eliminated from Rugby World Cup qualifying.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Africa qualification, Round 2, Round 2B: 2013 Africa Cup Division 1A
The 2013 Africa Cup Division 1A took place in Madagascar at Mahamasina Stadium in Antananarivo on 10 July and 14 July. The top three teams, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Madagascar, remained in Division 1A for 2014, thus advancing to Round 3, while Uganda were eliminated from Rugby World Cup Qualifying.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Africa qualification, Round 3: 2014 Africa Cup Division 1A
The third and final round consisted of 6 matches, featuring the top 4 ranked teams in Africa in a Round-robin format, and doubled as the 2014 Africa Cup Division 1A. The winner, Namibia, qualified for Pool C of the 2015 Rugby World Cup as Africa 1. The runner up, Zimbabwe, advanced to the repechage playoff against Russia.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Africa qualification, Round 3: 2014 Africa Cup Division 1A
The 2014 Africa Cup Division 1A took place in Madagascar at Mahamasina Stadium in Antananarivo, between 28 June and 6 July.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Americas qualification
In the Americas Region for 2015 Rugby World Cup qualifying, Argentina had automatically qualified for the World Cup, and two places were available in the Americas qualification process, which were taken by Canada and the United States. An additional Americas team, Uruguay, also qualified as the Play-off winner.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Americas qualification, Format
The qualification process for the 2–3 teams from the Americas participating in the 2015 Rugby World Cup are as follows:


2015 Rugby World Cup – Americas qualification, Format
Round 1 was split into two sections, Round 1A and Round 1B.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Americas qualification, Format
Like Round 1, Round 3 was also split into two sections, Round 3A and Round 3B.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Americas qualification, Entrants
The 2015 Rugby World Cup qualifying teams that will compete for the 2015 Rugby World Cup – Americas qualification. (World rankings, shown in brackets, are to first Americas qualification match on 24 March 2012)


2015 Rugby World Cup – Americas qualification, Round 1, Round 1A: 2012 NACRA Rugby Championship
The 2012 NACRA Championship was the first qualifying event for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. The tournament featured nine IRB members from the Caribbean and North and South America. Those teams, along with their IRB World Ranking and rating points as of March 19, 2012, were as follows:


2015 Rugby World Cup – Americas qualification, Round 1, Round 1A: 2012 NACRA Rugby Championship, Zone 1
The winning team, Cayman Islands, advanced to Zone 1 Round 2 to face Bahamas and Bermuda.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Americas qualification, Round 1, Round 1A: 2012 NACRA Rugby Championship, Zone 1
The winning team, Bermuda, advanced to the final of the 2012 NACRA Championship, or Round 1A final, to face Zone 2 winners Guyana.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Americas qualification, Round 1, Round 1A: 2012 NACRA Rugby Championship, Zone 2
The winning team, Barbados, advanced to Zone 2 Round 2 to face Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Americas qualification, Round 1, Round 1A: 2012 NACRA Rugby Championship, Zone 2
The winning team, Guyana, advanced to the final of the 2012 NACRA Caribbean Championship, or Round 1A Final, to face Zone 1 winners Bermuda.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Americas qualification, Round 1, Round 1A: 2012 NACRA Rugby Championship, Round 1A Final: NACRA Rugby Championship Final
The winning team, Bermuda, advanced to the Round 1 Final to face the winner of the 2012 CONSUR B, or Round 1B victors, Paraguay.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Americas qualification, Round 1, Round 1B: 2012 CONSUR Rugby Championship B
The winning team, Paraguay, advanced to the Round 1 Final to face Bermuda, the winner of the 2012 NACRA Rugby Championship.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Americas qualification, Round 1, Round 1B: 2012 CONSUR Rugby Championship B
Number in brackets indicates the pre-tournament IRB ranking of team


2015 Rugby World Cup – Americas qualification, Round 1, Round 1 Final
The winner of 2012 NACRA Rugby Championship, Bermuda, played the winner of the 2012 CONSUR B tournament, Paraguay, in order to progress through to Round 2. Paraguay were the home team as they were the higher ranked team at 39 to Bermuda's 49.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Americas qualification, Round 2, Round 2A: 2012 CONSUR Rugby Championship A
The top two teams remained in CONSUR A for the 2013 tournament (Round 3A), thus still being able to qualify for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. The bottom placed team, Brazil, had to face a relegation challenge, Round 2 Final, from the CONSUR B champion, Paraguay, to earn to right to compete in the 2013 tournament and stay within the chance of qualifying for Rugby World Cup 2015.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Americas qualification, Round 2, Round 2 Final: CONSUR A/B relegation playoff
Paraguay, the winner of Round 1, faced Brazil, the last placed team in the 2012 Consur A competition, or Round 2A, for the right to compete in the 2013 Consur A, or Round 3A, and remain within the chance of qualifying for the World Cup.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Americas qualification, Round 2, Round 2 Final: CONSUR A/B relegation playoff
Being the higher ranked team, Brazil hosted the match in front of over 10,000 spectators in São Paulo, Brazil's biggest ever home crowd.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Americas qualification, Round 3, Round 3A: 2013 CONSUR Rugby Championship A
Round 3A was contested concurrently with the 2013 South American Rugby Championship "A" in Montevideo, Uruguay and Temuco, Chile between 27 April and 4 May 2013. However, this tournament included already qualified nation Argentina, and therefore had no effect on who advanced to the NACRA-CONSUR playoff final. This means fixtures against Argentina by Brazil, Chile or Uruguay were not included as Rugby World Cup qualification matches. The winner of this qualifying round, Uruguay, advanced to the NACRA-CONSUR playoff final, to stay in contention for qualifying for the 2015 Rugby World Cup as Americas 2 or to progress to the Repechage qualifying.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Americas qualification, Round 3, Round 3B: United States v Canada Home & Away playoffs
Canada defeated the USA in a two-legged play off, sweeping the series and winning 40-20 on aggregate, thus qualifying for the World Cup as Americas 1. USA progressed to the NACRA-CONSUR playoff final against Uruguay.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Americas qualification, Round 3, Round 3B: United States v Canada Home & Away playoffs
Touch judges:JP Doyle (England)Marius Mitrea (Italy)Television match official:Jim Yuille (Scotland)


2015 Rugby World Cup – Americas qualification, Round 3, Round 3B: United States v Canada Home & Away playoffs
Touch judges:Leighton Hodges (Wales)Marius Mitrea (Italy)Television match official:Jim Yuille (Scotland)


2015 Rugby World Cup – Americas qualification, Round 3, Round 3 Final: NACRA-CONSUR playoff final
The losing team from Round 3B, United States, played the winner from Round 3A, Uruguay to determine who qualifies as Americas 2. The final consisted of a home-and-away series, with the winner on aggregate, United States (59–40 or 1–0), qualifying for the World Cup as Americas 2.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Americas qualification, Round 3, Round 3 Final: NACRA-CONSUR playoff final
The loser, Uruguay, advanced to the repechage to play Asia 2, Hong Kong.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Americas qualification, Round 3, Round 3 Final: NACRA-CONSUR playoff final
Touch judges:Ignacio Iparaguirre (Argentina)Carlos Poggie (Argentina)Television match official:Santiago Borsani (Argentina)


2015 Rugby World Cup – Americas qualification, Round 3, Round 3 Final: NACRA-CONSUR playoff final
Touch judges:David Smortchevsky (Canada)Andrew McMaster (Canada)Television match official:Jim Yuille (Scotland)


2015 Rugby World Cup – Asia qualification
In the Asian Region for 2015 Rugby World Cup qualifying, Japan took the sole qualification spot, Asia 1 by winning Round 3: 2014 Asian Five Nations, while second placed Hong Kong qualified for the repechage playoff.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Asia qualification
The qualification process included the top four levels of the Asian Five Nations tournaments, beginning in 2012.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Asia qualification, Format
Asia provided one direct qualifier for the 2015 Rugby World Cup (Asia 1), and one repechage play-off position. The Asian qualification process used the Asian Five Nations, using the top three divisions in the second tier of Asian teams, and the top tier competition Asian Five Nations.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Asia qualification, Format
The 2012 Asian Five Nations Divisions 1 through Division 3 were the first stage of qualifying. The winners of Divisions 2 and 3, Thailand and India, faced each other for the right to be promoted to Division 1 in 2013, Thailand winning. The last place team in Division 1, Singapore, was relegated to Division 2. As only teams in the top tier Asian Five Nations and Division 1 in 2013 could qualify for the top tier in 2014, all the remaining teams were therefore eliminated.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Asia qualification, Format
The second phase included the top tier of the 2013 Asian Five Nations, as well as Division 1. The winner of Division 1, Sri Lanka, earned promotion to the top tier for 2014, which served as the qualification final. United Arab Emirates finished in last place in the top tier, thus earning them relegation and elimination from the qualification process.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Asia qualification, Format
The final phase was the top tier of the 2014 Asian Five Nations. Japan won, thus qualifying for Pool B of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, along with Samoa, Scotland, South Africa, and USA. Hong Kong finished in second place to qualify for the repechage playoff against Uruguay.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Asia qualification, Entrants
The 2015 Rugby World Cup qualifying teams that competed for the 2015 Rugby World Cup – Asia qualification. (World rankings, shown in brackets, are those immediately prior to first Asia qualification match on 30 May 2012)


2015 Rugby World Cup – Asia qualification, 2012, 2012 Asian Five Nations Division 3
The winner, India, advanced to the Division 2/3 playoff match against Thailand for the right to compete in 2013 Asian Five Nations Division 1.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Asia qualification, 2012, 2012 Asian Five Nations Division 2
The winners, Thailand, advanced to the Division 2/3 playoff match against India for the right to compete in 2013 Asian Five Nations Division 1.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Asia qualification, 2012, Division 2/3 Promotion
Thailand defeated India for promotion to the 2013 Asian Five Nations Division 1 and to remain in contention for Rugby World Cup qualifying. Thailand therefore advanced in and India was eliminated from the Rugby World Cup Qualification process.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Asia qualification, 2012, 2012 Asian Five Nations Division 1
The top three teams remained in 2015 Rugby World Cup qualifying, with Philippines advancing to the 2013 Asian Five Nations, and Sri Lanka and Chinese Taipei advancing to the 2013 Asian Five Nations Division 1. The last placed team, Singapore, was eliminated from 2015 Rugby World Cup qualifying.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Asia qualification, 2012, 2012 Asian Five Nations Division 1
All the games were played in Manila, Philippines at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Asia qualification, 2013, 2013 Asian Five Nations Division 1
The tournament was played in Sri Lanka from 31 March to 6 April 2013. The winner of this division and this stage of qualification, Sri Lanka, earned promotion to the main division for 2014, which will be the final stage of Asian Rugby World Cup qualifying. The remaining three teams were eliminated from World Cup qualifying.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Asia qualification, 2013, 2013 Asian Five Nations
The top four teams advanced to the final stage of Rugby World Cup qualifying, while the last placed team, United Arab Emirates, was relegated to Division 1 and eliminated from qualifying for the Rugby World Cup.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Asia qualification, 2014 Asian Five Nations
The winner the 2014 Asian Five Nations tournament, Japan, qualified for the 2015 Rugby World Cup as Asia 1 in Pool B. The runner-up in the tournament, Hong Kong, advanced to the repechage playoffs to play Uruguay.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Europe qualification
The European Zone of qualification for the 2015 Rugby World Cup saw 31 teams competing for two places at the finals in England and one place in the Repechage playoff. Georgia and Romania qualified directly to the Rugby World Cup as Europe 1 and Europe 2, and will play in Pools C and D respectively. Russia finished third to qualify for the repechage playoff, but losing to Uruguay in the final Qualification round.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Europe qualification, Format
31 national teams from FIRA–AER (which changed its name to Rugby Europe during the qualifying cycle) entered qualification, and two or three teams could qualify for the 2015 World Cup. The qualification format was the same as that used for 2011 competition. The teams competed in two groups of six teams, three groups of five and one group of four. There were two levels of playoff. The direct qualification to the 2015 Rugby World Cup (Round 5) took place in the 2012–2014 European Nations Cup - Division 1A, with Georgia and Romania qualifying directly to the 2015 Rugby World Cup as Europe 1 and Europe 2.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Europe qualification, Format
Each winning team in the 2012-2013 European Nations Cup Division 2 played off in succession, starting with the lowest two divisions. After the 2013–14 season, the winning team from Division 2 (Netherlands) played off against the winner of Division 1B (Germany). Germany won this match and played off against Russia, who finished third in Division 1A. Russia won this match and qualified for the repechage. No team from the 2012–14 3rd division tournament was eligible to qualify for the Rugby World Cup.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Europe qualification, Entrants
The 2015 Rugby World Cup qualifying teams that competed for the 2015 Rugby World Cup – European qualification. (World rankings, shown in brackets, are to first European qualification match on 6 October 2012)


2015 Rugby World Cup – Europe qualification, Round 1, Round 1A: European Nations Cup Division 2D 2012–13
The winner of Round 1A, Luxembourg, advanced to the Round 1 Final to play the winner of Division 2C, Slovenia. The other four teams were eliminated from Rugby World Cup qualifying.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Europe qualification, Round 1, Round 1B: European Nations Cup Division 2C 2012–13
The winner of Round 1B, Slovenia, advanced to Round 1 Final and will play the winner of Division 2D, Luxembourg. The other three teams were eliminated from Rugby World Cup qualifying.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Europe qualification, Round 1, Round 1 Final
Luxembourg, the winner of Round 1A, defeated Slovenia, the winner of Round 1B, to advance to Round 2 Final to play Israel.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Europe qualification, Round 2, Round 2A: European Nations Cup Division 2B 2012–13
The winner of Round 2A, Israel, advanced to Round 2 Final to play the winner of Round 1. The other four teams were eliminated from Rugby World Cup qualifying.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Europe qualification, Round 2, Round 2 Final
Israel, the winner of Round 2A, played the winner of Round 1, Luxembourg, to advance to the Round 3 Final to play Netherlands.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Europe qualification, Round 3, Round 3A: European Nations Cup Division 2A 2012–13
The winner of Round 3A, Netherlands, advanced to Round 3 Final to play the winner of Round 2. The other four teams were eliminated from Rugby World Cup qualifying.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Europe qualification, Round 3, Round 3 Final
Netherlands, the winner of Round 3A, played the winner of Round 2, Israel, for the right to advance to Round 4 Final to play the winner of 2012-13 Division 2A, Germany.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Europe qualification, Round 4, Round 4A: Division 1B 2012–14
The winner of Division 1B, Germany, advanced to Round 4 Final to play the winner of Round 3. The other five teams were eliminated from Rugby World Cup qualifying.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Europe qualification, Round 4, Round 4 Final
The winner of Round 4A, Germany, defeated Netherlands, the winner of Round 3, for the right to advance to Round 6 Final.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Europe qualification, Round 5: European Nations Cup Division 1A 2012–14
The winner of Round 5, Georgia, qualified for the 2015 Rugby World Cup as Europe 1 and will join New Zealand, Argentina, Tonga and Namibia in Pool C. The runner-up, Romania, qualified as Europe 2, joining France, Ireland, Italy and Canada in Pool D. Third place, Russia, advanced to Round 6 to play the winner of Round 4 for the opportunity to qualify for the repechage. Fourth through sixth were eliminated from Rugby World Cup qualifying.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Europe qualification, Round 6: Repechage playoff
The winning team from Round 4, Germany, advanced to play the third place team from Round 5, Russia. Russia won and advanced to the repechage.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Oceania qualification
The Federation of Oceania Rugby Unions (FORU) section of the 2015 Rugby World Cup qualification involved five teams competing for one spot in the final tournament in England.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Oceania qualification, Format
In addition to four automatically qualified teams, Oceania was allocated one direct qualifying place (Oceania 1) for the 2015 Rugby World Cup to be held in England. It was the last region to begin its qualification process for 2015. The 2013 FORU Oceania Cup was the regional qualification tournament, with the winner playing Fiji in a one-off match for the qualifying place. The winner of this play-off qualified directly for Pool A of the 2015 Rugby World Cup as Oceania 1.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Oceania qualification, Entrants
The 2015 Rugby World Cup qualifying teams that competed for the 2015 Rugby World Cup – Oceania qualification. (World rankings, shown in brackets, are those immediately prior to first Oceania qualification match on 6 July 2012)


2015 Rugby World Cup – Oceania qualification, Round 1: Oceania Cup
The first round consisted of six home-and-away matches. The winner of the series proceeded to the second round. The FORU Oceania Cup took place in Papua New Guinea at the Lloyd Robson Oval in Port Moresby from 6 to 13 July.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Oceania qualification, Round 1: Oceania Cup
•  The top team (Green background) advanced to Round 2.


2015 Rugby World Cup – Oceania qualification, Round 2: Oceania final
Fiji defeated the first round winner, Cook Islands, in a one-off match to determine who qualified for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.


2015 Rugby World Cup – repechage qualification
For the 2015 Rugby World Cup qualifying, there were three inter-confederation play-offs to determine the final qualification spot to the 2015 Rugby World Cup. The process ended with the 20th and final team to qualify for the World Cup. Four teams, the best non-qualifier from each region except Oceania, competed for the last place at the Rugby World Cup finals in England. Uruguay won the final play, thus becoming the 20th qualifier for the World Cup and joined hosts England, Australia, Wales and Fiji in Pool A.


2015 Rugby World Cup – repechage qualification, Format
The play-off was contested on a knockout basis, with one-game semi-finals and a two-legged home and away final. One semi-final featured the third place team from European qualification and the second place team from African qualification. The other saw the third placed team from the Americas qualification and the second place team from the Asia qualification.


2015 Rugby World Cup – repechage qualification, Format
The host of each semi-final was the team with the higher IRB Ranking at the moment it became known who the two teams were.


2015 Rugby World Cup – repechage qualification, Matches, Preliminary round
The first match was contested between Russia and Zimbabwe, and the second match between Uruguay and Hong Kong. Upon completion of African qualifying on July 6, Russia outranked Zimbabwe 20th to 27th and thus earned the right to host. Likewise, upon completion of Asian qualifying on May 25, Uruguay outranked Hong Kong 20th to 23rd to earn the right to host.


2015 Rugby World Cup – repechage qualification, Matches, Qualification round
The final stage of the Repechage qualification, and Rugby World Cup qualification, was a two-legged series between Russia and Uruguay. As Uruguay were the higher ranked team upon completion of the preliminary round, they traveled to Russia for the first leg and host the second. Uruguay won the series with an aggregate score of 57–49.


2015 Rugby World Cup – repechage qualification, Matches, Qualification round, First leg
Touch judges:David Wilkinson (Ireland)Olly Hodges (Ireland)Television match official:Simon McDowell (Ireland)


2015 Rugby World Cup – repechage qualification, Matches, Qualification round, Second leg
Touch judges:Juan Sylvestre (Argentina)Francisco Pastrana (Argentina)Television match official:Santiago Borsani (Argentina)


2015 Runnymede Borough Council election
The 2015 Runnymede Borough Council election took place on 7 May 2015 to elect one third of members to Runnymede Borough Council in England. The election coincided with other local elections held simultaneously with a General Election and resulted in increased turnout compared to the election four years before. In Addlestone North a by-election added to seats vacant. All currently drawn wards of the United Kingdom in this area are three-member, with the different members' seats contested three years out of four.


2015 Runnymede Borough Council election, Results
Conservatives gained a seat, adding to councillors within the group with overall control of the Council.


2015 RusVelo season
The 2015 season for the RusVelo cycling team began in January at the Trofeo Santanyi-Ses Salines-Campos. The team participated in UCI Continental Circuits and UCI World Tour events when given a wildcard invitation.


2015 Rushcliffe Borough Council election
The 2015 Rushcliffe Borough Council election took place on 7 May 2015 to elect members of the Rushcliffe Borough Council in England. It was held on the same day as other local elections.


2015 Rushmoor Borough Council election
The 2015 Rushmoor Borough Council election took place on 7 May 2015 to elect members of the Rushmoor Borough Council in England. It was held on the same day as other local elections.


2015 Rushmoor Borough Council election
Two seats were up for election in the West Heath ward due to the resignation of an incumbent.


2015 Russell Athletic Bowl
The 2015 Russell Athletic Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game played on December 29, 2015 at the Orlando Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The 26th edition of the Russell Athletic Bowl featured the North Carolina Tar Heels of the Atlantic Coast Conference against the Baylor Bears of the Big 12 Conference. It began at 5:30 p.m. EST and aired on ESPN. It was one of the 2015–16 bowl games that concluded the 2015 FBS football season. The game's naming rights sponsor was the Russell Athletic uniform company.


2015 Russell Athletic Bowl, Teams
The game featured the North Carolina Tar Heels against the Baylor Bears.


2015 Russell Athletic Bowl, Teams, North Carolina Tar Heels
After finishing their season 11–2, the Tar Heels accepted their invitation to play in the game.


2015 Russell Athletic Bowl, Teams, North Carolina Tar Heels
This was the Tar Heels' second Russell Athletic Bowl; they had previously won the 1995 Carquest Bowl, defeating Arkansas by a score of 20–10.


2015 Russell Athletic Bowl, Teams, Baylor Bears
After finishing their season 9–3, the Bears accepted their invitation to play in the game.


2015 Russia Open Grand Prix
The 2015 Russia Open Grand Prix was the thirteenth grand prix gold and grand prix tournament of the 2015 BWF Grand Prix Gold and Grand Prix. The tournament was held in Sports Hall Olympic, Vladivostok, Russia July 21 until July 26, 2015 and had a total purse of 50,000.


2015 Russian Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 2015 Russian Artistic Gymnastics Championships were held in Penza, Russia from March 5–8 for senior and April 1–4 for junior.


2015 Russian Artistic Gymnastics Championships, Results, Senior All-Around
Senior Team members Aliya Mustafina , Anastasia Grishina and  Anna Rodionova didn't attend. Senior Reserve members Daria Mikhailova didn't attend.


2015 Russian Artistic Gymnastics Championships, European Championships selections
The team to the 2015 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships was announced on 10 March 2015.


2015 Russian Circuit Racing Series
The 2015 Russian Circuit Racing Series season is the second season of the Russian Circuit Racing Series, organized by SMP Racing. It was the first season with TCR class cars, competing alongside the Super 2000 TC2 and the Super Production cars. It is also included Touring Light, National and Junior's championships, with all of them have their own races during the RCRS weekends. Aleksey Dudukalo won the drivers' championship, driving a SEAT Leon Cup Racer, and Lukoil Racing Team won the teams' championship.


2015 Russian Circuit Racing Series, Teams and drivers
All teams and drivers were Russian-registered, excepting Mika Salo, who raced under Finnish Racing license.


2015 Russian Circuit Racing Series, Calendar and results
The 2015 calendar consists in seven rounds, with all events scheduled to be held in Russia. The fifth round was scheduled to be held in Autodrom Moscow, but it was later moved to Smolensk Ring. The seventh round was scheduled to be held in Sochi Autodrom, but it was later moved to Kazan Ring.


2015 Russian Circuit Racing Series, Championship standings, Touring and Super Production
† – Drivers did not finish the race, but were classified as they completed over 75% of the race distance.


2015 Russian Circuit Racing Series, Championship standings, Teams' Championship
† – Drivers did not finish the race, but were classified as they completed over 75% of the race distance.


2015 Russian Cup
The 2015 Russian Cup was held in Penza, Russia from September 16 - 20, 2015. The competition served as a test event for the gymnasts that want to compete at the 2015 World Championships.


2015 Russian Cup, Women's Results, Uneven bars
Viktoria Komova failed to qualify for the final, but competed an exhibition routine.


2015 Russian Cup, Women's Results, Balance beam
Seda Tutkhalyan failed to qualify for the final, but competed an exhibition routine.


2015 Russian Cup, Women's Results, Floor
Evgeniya Shelgunova failed to qualify for the final, but competed an exhibition routine.


2015 Russian Cup, World championship teams
After the competition, provisional teams were announced for the 2015 World Championships.


2015 Russian Cup, World championship teams
Most notably missing is 2010, 2013, and 2014 World Championship team member, Aliya Mustafina, who will not be competing due to back pain.


2015 Russian Cup Final
The 2015 Russian Cup Final decided the winner of the 2014–15 Russian Cup, the 23rd season of Russia's main football cup. It was played on 21 May 2015 at the Central Stadium in Astrakhan, between Lokomotiv Moscow and Kuban Krasnodar. Lokomotiv came back from behind and emerged victorious with a 3-1 win in extra time.


2015 Russian Cup Final
The winner qualified for the group stage of the UEFA Europa League and also faced the champions of the 2014–15 Russian Premier League, Zenit Saint Petersburg in the Russian Super Cup on 12 July 2015.


2015 Russian Cup Final, Venue
The Russian Cup final was held for the first time ever at Central Stadium in Astrakhan. Kuban Stadium in Krasnodar and Otkrytie Arena in Moscow were touted to be other potential alternatives but ultimately the stadium was announced by the Russian Football Union as the venue of the final through an official statement on Twitter on 30 March 2015.


2015 Russian Cup Final, Venue
Central Stadium is the home stadium of Volgar Astrakhan and it holds 17,500 people, all seated. The stadium was originally built in 1955 but it underwent a total reconstruction in the summer of 2013. The stadium has been earmarked as a training facility for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.


2015 Russian Cup Final, Background
Lokomotiv played their 7th Russian Cup final, second only to CSKA's 10. Prior to the 2015 final, they have won five, against the seven won by their cross town rivals. Their most recent appearance at the final was in 2007. Indeed, they faced the now-defunct FC Moscow and won the contest courtesy of a goal from Garry O'Connor in extra-time.


2015 Russian Cup Final, Background
As for Kuban, it was their first ever appearance at the Russian Cup final. Indeed, their best performance ever in the Russian Cup came in 2012–13 Russian Cup, when they were eliminated by Zenit on penalties in the quarter-finals. As a side note, Leonid Kuchuk, the current manager of Kuban, faced Lokomotiv in the final after he was sacked from the same position earlier this season following a disappointing start at the helm of the Muscovite club.


2015 Russian Cup Final, Background
It was also the first time that the two clubs met in the Russian Cup final.


2015 Russian Figure Skating Championships
The 2015 Russian Figure Skating Championships (Russian: Чемпионат России по фигурному катанию на коньках 2015) was held from 24 to 28 December 2014 in Sochi. Medals were awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing. The results were among the criteria used to select Russia's teams sent to the 2015 World Championships and 2015 European Championships.


2015 Russian Figure Skating Championships, Senior Championships
The senior Championships was held in Sochi for the third year in a row. Competitors qualified through international success or by competing in the Russian Cup series' senior-level events. 2014 national champions Adelina Sotnikova and Ekaterina Bobrova / Dmitri Soloviev were absent from the entry list, which featured 18 men, 18 ladies, 11 pairs, and 10 dance teams.


2015 Russian Figure Skating Championships, Junior Championships
The 2015 Russian Junior Championships (Russian: Первенство России) were held in Yoshkar-Ola from 4 to 7 February 2015. Competitors qualified by competing in the Russian Cup series' junior-level events. There were 18 qualifiers in the men's event, 18 ladies, 12 pairs, and 15 ice dancing teams. The results of the February competition was part of the selection criteria for the 2015 World Junior Championships.


2015 Russian Figure Skating Championships, International team selections, Winter Universiade
The team for the 2015 Winter Universiade was announced as follows:


2015 Russian Figure Skating Championships, International team selections, European Championships
The team for the 2015 European Championships was announced on 28 December 2014:


2015 Russian Figure Skating Championships, International team selections, World Junior Championships
The team for the 2015 World Junior Championships was announced on 12 February 2015 in no particular order:


2015 Russian Figure Skating Championships, International team selections, World Championships
The team for the 2015 World Championships was announced as follows:


2015 Russian Grand Prix
The 2015 Russian Grand Prix (formally known as the 2015 Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix; Russian: Гран-при России 2015 года, romanized: Gran-pri Rossii 2015 goda) was a Formula One motor race that took place on 11 October 2015. The fifty-three lap race was held at the Sochi Autodrom. This was the fifteenth round of the 2015 season and marked the second time that the Russian Grand Prix was run as a round of the Formula One World Championship since its inception in 1950.


2015 Russian Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton won the race for the second season in a row, extending his Drivers' Championship lead to 66 points. With Nico Rosberg retiring early in the race, Sebastian Vettel reclaimed second place in the standings for the first time since his round two victory in Malaysia with a second-place finish. Sergio Pérez completed the podium in third for Force India.


2015 Russian Grand Prix
Mercedes secured their second consecutive Constructors' Championship, having done so at the same event the previous season.


2015 Russian Grand Prix, Report, Background
After the previous year's race showed lower-than-expected tyre degradation, Pirelli opted to supply the yellow-banded soft compound as the prime selection and the red-banded supersoft tyre as the option selection. The previous season's event saw Nico Rosberg complete 52 of 53 laps on the white-banded medium compound on his way to a second-place finish. Even with the softer tyre choice, tyre degradation was not an issue at the event, with drivers able to record fast lap times all through the race on a one-stop strategy.


2015 Russian Grand Prix, Report, Background
Roberto Merhi replaced Alexander Rossi for Marussia, in accordance with Rossi's five-race contract that saw him sit out this race and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Jolyon Palmer replaced Romain Grosjean for Lotus for Friday's first free practice session for the tenth time this season.


2015 Russian Grand Prix, Report, Background
Fernando Alonso began the weekend's event knowing he would start from the back of the grid due to a number of penalties incurred for changing engine parts. Honda provided him with an upgraded internal combustion engine, which had been designed using the team's last four in-season development tokens. Alonso's McLaren teammate Jenson Button had to continue using the old-specification engine at this race as Honda only had one of the upgraded power units available. However, Alonso used the new power unit only in the first practice session before switching back to the older unit, albeit voicing satisfaction with the performance of the new specification.


2015 Russian Grand Prix, Report, Background
Going into the weekend, Lewis Hamilton led the Drivers' Championship with a 48-point advantage over teammate Rosberg, with Sebastian Vettel another eleven points behind in third. Mercedes led the Constructors' Standings on 506 points, 169 points ahead of Ferrari. In third was Williams, another 129 points behind.


2015 Russian Grand Prix, Report, Free practice
Per the regulations for the 2015 season, three practice sessions were held, two 90-minute sessions on Friday and another one-hour session before qualifying on Saturday. However, all three sessions were disrupted and little running took place. During the first session on Friday morning, a spillage of diesel on track prevented the cars from going out on until very late in the session. Eventually, Nico Hülkenberg topped the session for Force India, ahead of his compatriots Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel.


2015 Russian Grand Prix, Report, Free practice
Since water was used to clear the surface, the first laps were run on intermediate tyres by most drivers, with both Williams cars being equipped with full wet tyres, but Valtteri Bottas spun on them entering the pit lane. Later, the track dried enough to use slick tyres, Fernando Alonso being the first to do so. Due to the limited running, the last minutes were busy with most cars out on track. Marcus Ericsson however was confined to the sidelines as he stopped with an engine problem. As Lewis Hamilton spun on his last timed lap, he needed to settle for seventh fastest.


2015 Russian Grand Prix, Report, Free practice
With a lot of rain falling, the second practice session saw only eight drivers set timed laps, with just 14 taking to the track. Felipe Massa set the fastest time with a lap of 2:00.458. Both Lotus and Marussia did not run at all, while Fernando Alonso ran the most number of laps with twelve, following an engine change.


2015 Russian Grand Prix, Report, Free practice
The third practice session on Saturday saw limited running as well, as training was halted due to a massive 46g crash by Carlos Sainz Jr.. The Spaniard lost control of his car going into turn 13, hit a wall and went on to crash into the safety barriers, burying the nose of his car in the process. The session was stopped while Sainz was taken out of the car and transported to hospital, albeit uninjured. The guardrail behind the safety barriers collapsed as a result of the impact.


2015 Russian Grand Prix, Report, Free practice
Practice was not resumed afterwards and the time of 1:38.561 set by Nico Rosberg before the accident remained the fastest lap of the session. He was more than seven-tenths of a second faster than Valtteri Bottas in second, with Lewis Hamilton another tenth behind. Sainz's teammate Max Verstappen finished the session 17th fastest after spinning in the final corner.


2015 Russian Grand Prix, Report, Qualifying
Conditions were dry for qualifying on Saturday afternoon. Qualifying consisted of three parts, 18, 15 and 12 minutes in length respectively, with five drivers eliminated from competing after each of the first two sessions. Only the two Mercedes drivers were capable of proceeding into the second part of qualifying (Q2) without having to use the faster, soft tyres. Nico Rosberg was fastest, ahead of Williams' Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton. As Carlos Sainz was unable to compete following his crash in practice, only four running drivers were eliminated. Those were both Marussia drivers, the Sauber of Marcus Ericsson and Fernando Alonso for McLaren.


2015 Russian Grand Prix, Report, Qualifying
The two Mercedes exchanged new track record times as Rosberg, then Hamilton, and once again Rosberg set fast times during Q2. Bottas was again the fastest non-Mercedes runner, but teammate Felipe Massa was hindered by traffic and did not proceed into Q3. Also eliminated were Pastor Maldonado, Jenson Button, Felipe Nasr, and Daniil Kvyat, the latter two being bettered by a late fast lap from Max Verstappen.


2015 Russian Grand Prix, Report, Qualifying
Nico Rosberg was again fastest in Q3, denying teammate Hamilton his fiftieth career pole position in the process. His time of 1m37.113 was more than three-tenths of a second quicker than Hamilton's, ensuring he started from the front of the grid for the second race running. Valtteri Bottas confirmed his strong pace and qualified third, marginally ahead of Sebastian Vettel. The second Ferrari of Kimi Räikkönen was almost half a second behind in fifth, having made a mistake at turn 13, followed by the two Force India cars of Nico Hülkenberg and Sergio Pérez. Hamilton had also gone off at turn 13 on his second fast lap, preventing him from challenging Rosberg for pole position.


2015 Russian Grand Prix, Report, Race
Carlos Sainz was cleared to race albeit not setting a time in qualifying, being allowed to start from the back of the grid. At the start, Nico Rosberg led away from Lewis Hamilton, while further back, Nico Hülkenberg spun into turn two, tagging Max Verstappen and Marcus Ericsson. Verstappen had a puncture while Hülkenberg and Ericsson retired on the spot, causing the safety car to be deployed. Meanwhile, Räikkönen and Kvyat experienced good starts, gaining two and four places respectively. Racing resumed on the end of lap 3, with Rosberg retaining his race lead.


2015 Russian Grand Prix, Report, Race
However, further back Bottas overtook Räikkönen to take third. By lap 7, Sainz had moved up into 14th place, while Felipe Massa was up into ninth place from 15th on the grid. Race leader Nico Rosberg needed to retire at the end of the seventh lap due to a locked throttle, handing the race lead to championship leader Lewis Hamilton. On lap 10, Pastor Maldonado moved ahead of Jenson Button to take tenth, while Hamilton was extending his lead over second placed Bottas.


2015 Russian Grand Prix, Report, Race
A second safety car phase occurred on lap 12, when Romain Grosjean lost the back of his Lotus in turn 3 and crashed into the barriers. While Grosjean escaped uninjured, his car was heavily damaged. With a lot of debris on track, the safety car stayed out until lap 17. At the restart, Vettel attacked teammate Räikkönen for third. While the Finn was able to stay ahead by going wide into turn 2, he subsequently gave up the place to Vettel. One lap later, Ricciardo and Sainz fought for tenth place, with Daniel Ricciardo coming out on top and retaining the position.


2015 Russian Grand Prix, Report, Race
By lap 20, Max Verstappen, impeded by his tyre failure at the start, had moved up into twelfth while at the front, Hamilton extended his advantage over Bottas to 7.5 seconds on lap 24 with Vettel also moving closer to the Finn. After several drivers had opted to pit during the second safety car phase, most drivers at the front decided to come in for their regular pit stops starting on lap 25. Carlos Sainz crossed the white line when exiting pit lane, receiving a five-second penalty to be served at his second stop.


2015 Russian Grand Prix, Report, Race
Bottas was the first of the front runners to pit on lap 27, emerging into traffic. This allowed Sebastian Vettel to make up time by staying out longer, eventually emerging from his pit stop ahead of Bottas on lap 31. One lap later, Räikkönen made a pit stop as well, coming out just behind Bottas. Race leader Hamilton came in another lap later, retaining his lead without incident. On lap 37, Räikkönen used the Drag Reduction System (DRS) to move ahead of Bottas for fifth place, only for the Williams driver to retake the position in the next corner.


2015 Russian Grand Prix, Report, Race
An early pit stop during the safety car phase had put Sergio Pérez up into third place, with Daniel Ricciardo behind in fourth. By lap 43, Ricciardo, Bottas and Räikkönen had all moved into striking distance of Pérez, who was trying to keep his older tyres alive. On lap 45, Bottas used DRS to move ahead of Ricciardo's Red Bull. One lap later, Räikkönen tried to follow suit, only to run wide, having to concede the position back to Ricciardo. On lap 47, Carlos Sainz retired after spinning off the track due to a brake failure, losing his rear wing.


2015 Russian Grand Prix, Report, Race
Retrieving the wing from the track under racing conditions, a track marshall was called "one very brave Russian" by the passing Sebastian Vettel, who barely avoided contact. Just after being passed by Räikkönen on lap 49, Daniel Ricciardo had to retire with a suspension failure. The end of lap 52 saw Valtteri Bottas move ahead of Pérez into third place, with Räikkönen moving past the Force India as well. However, just some corners later on the last lap of the race, the two collided, forcing Bottas to retire and causing heavy damage to Räikkönen's Ferrari.


2015 Russian Grand Prix, Report, Race
Pérez thereby reclaimed third place and achieved Force India's first podium finish of the season. At the front, Vettel moved closer to Hamilton due to the latter suffering from a compromised rear wing, probably caused by rubber debris in the slot gap. However, Hamilton held on and took his ninth victory of the season, finishing ahead of Vettel, who was now his closest championship rival.


2015 Russian Grand Prix, Report, Post-race
Räikkönen was demoted from fifth to eighth place for causing the final lap collision with Bottas and scored only four points rather than ten, and this secured the constructors championship for Mercedes. McLaren driver Fernando Alonso was given a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits, promoting Toro Rosso's Max Verstappen to tenth. When asked about the collision with Bottas at the press conference for the following United States Grand Prix, Kimi Räikkönen remained unrepentant, saying: "[My view] hasn't changed. There were some discussions. I would still do it tomorrow again, that doesn't change the story." Bottas took a different viewpoint, saying: "I don't think it was a racing incident. I didn't see anyone there and I was in front, and then suddenly someone hits me. I should be on the podium, but I'm here with zero points instead. That's just disappointing."


2015 Russian Grand Prix, Report, Post-race
Former Jordan team principal Eddie Jordan carried out the podium interviews. Hamilton expressed disappointment at not being able to battle his teammate to win the race, while he also stressed the title was "not done and dusted". Sebastian Vettel expressed satisfaction with his car, saying that he had hoped to be able to catch Hamilton towards the end of the race. However, he was disappointed by not having both Ferrari cars on the podium. Sergio Pérez said that he had been "really unhappy" with himself until the last lap that handed him third place, calling the result "just amazing". He would later go on to call the race "the best moment in my career".


2015 Russian Grand Prix, Report, Post-race
After the race, Sebastian Vettel criticised Lewis Hamilton for what he believed was excessive low speed at the restart after the safety car period, calling his behaviour "ridiculous". He added: "There was no reason to go that slow. If you want to pack up the field you can do it earlier and not in the very last bit." Following his 46G impact on Saturday, Carlos Sainz conceded that he felt "a bit of dizziness" in the early stages of the Grand Prix, though he added: "But after lap 10 it went off and I could push normally without problems."


2015 Russian Grand Prix, Report, Post-race
After his accident on lap twelve, Romain Grosjean spoke of his "biggest impact for quite a while". He also revealed that the seat of his car broke at impact, but also emphasised the fact that he was able to escape unharmed: "It's a testament to all the safety inherent in the car and the other safety devices."


2015 Russian Grand Prix, Report, Post-race
As a result of the race, Mercedes extended their lead in the Constructors' Championship to 172 points, enough to secure their second consecutive title. Williams was still in third on 220 points, 71 points ahead of Red Bull. In the Drivers' Standings, Lewis Hamilton's lead over second place grew to 66 points, with his closest challenger now being Sebastian Vettel. Nico Rosberg dropped to third, seven points behind Vettel on 229 points.


2015 Russian National Freestyle Wrestling Championships
The Russian National Freestyle Wrestling Championships 2015 (World Team Trials) were held in Kaspiysk, Dagestan, Russia in the Ali Aliyev Center, from 8–10 May 2015. The championships were attended by 6-7,000 spectators.


2015 Russian National Greco-Roman Wrestling Championships
The Russian National Greco-Roman Wrestling Championships 2015 also known as the Russian Greco-Roman Nationals 2015 was held in Saint Petersburg, Leningrad Oblast, Russia, from 10–11 March 2015.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown
A Turkish Air Force F-16 fighter jet shot down a Russian Sukhoi Su-24M attack aircraft near the Syria–Turkey border on 24 November 2015. According to Turkey, the aircraft was fired upon while in Turkish airspace because it violated the border up to a depth of 2.19 kilometres (1.36 miles) for about 17 seconds after being warned to change its heading 10 times over a period of five minutes before entering the airspace.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown
The Russia Defence Ministry denied the aircraft ever left Syrian airspace, counter-claiming that their satellite data showed that the Sukhoi was about 1,000 metres (1,100 yd) inside Syrian airspace when it was shot down. The U.S. State Department said that the U.S. independently confirmed that the aircraft's flight path violated Turkish territory, and that the Turks gave multiple warnings to the pilot, to which they received no response and released audio recordings of the warnings they had broadcast. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pointed out that Turkey had the right to defend its airspace. Russian president Vladimir Putin said that the U.S. knew the flight path of the Russian jet and should have informed Turkey; two U.S. officials said that Russia did not inform the U.S. military of its jet's flight plan.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown
The Russian pilot and weapon systems officer both ejected from the aircraft. The weapon systems officer was rescued; the pilot was shot and killed by Syrian rebel ground fire while descending by parachute. A Russian naval infantryman from the search and rescue team launched to retrieve the two airmen was also killed when a rescue helicopter was targeted by the rebels.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown
The shooting down of the Sukhoi Su-24M was the first destruction of a Russian or Soviet Air Forces warplane by a NATO member state since an attack on the Sui-ho Dam during the Korean War in 1953. Reactions to the incident included denunciation from Russia and an attempt to defuse the situation by NATO afterwards. Russia deployed the guided missile cruiser Moskva armed with S-300F (SA-N-6 Grumble) long-range SAM missiles off the Syrian coast near Latakia and S-400 (SA-21 Growler) mobile SAM systems to Khmeimim airbase. In response, the Turkish Armed Forces deployed the KORAL land-based radar electronic support system in Hatay Province along the Turkish–Syrian border.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Background
After the 2012 shooting down of a Turkish RF-4E Phantom II Jet by Syrian forces, Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan protested, saying that brief incursions should not trigger an attack, pointing out that Turkey did not shoot down Syrian helicopters that strayed into Turkish airspace. Nevertheless, as a response to the event he announced that Turkey changed its rules of engagement, and said it would start to consider all "military elements" approaching from Syria an enemy threat and would act accordingly. Subsequently, Turkey shot down a Syrian Mi-17 helicopter in September 2013 and a MiG-23 warplane in March 2014.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Background
Russia is one of several countries directly involved in the Syrian conflict. On 30 September 2015, Russia began its air campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and other anti-government forces.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Background
In early October, Turkey and NATO protested against what they saw as Russia's deliberate violations of Turkish airspace. The Russian Defence Ministry admitted that a Russian Su-30 aircraft had entered Turkish airspace "for a few seconds" because of bad weather, adding that measures had been taken to prevent a repeat of such incidents, however Turkish radar had tracked the aircraft straying into Turkish airspace for up to 8 km (5 mi) lasting "several minutes". From 3–15 October, five discussions between senior ranking officials from Turkey and Russia occurred, concerning Turkish rules of engagement and Russian violations of Turkish airspace.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Background
On 6 November 2015, six U.S. Air Force F-15C fighters were deployed by US European Command from the 48th Fighter Wing at their Lakenheath base in Britain to Incirlik Air Base as part of Operation Inherent Resolve. The Government of Turkey requested these to secure the sovereignty of Turkish airspace because of earlier repeated Russian intrusions into Turkish airspace.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Background
On 19 November, Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrei Karlov and the Russian military attaché Colonel Andrei Victorovich Dovger were summoned by Turkey. Russia, which was criticised by Turkey for having conducted operations near the Turkish border, a region inhabited by Syrian Turkmen and largely free of ISIL (though al-Nusra Front, the al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, is present in the region), was notified that Turkey's rules of engagement were in place and it would react to any violations of its border security.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Background
Turkey also warned Russia that it would not be indifferent to "attacks targeting the life security of Turkmen" in the Bayırbucak area. The preceding week Turkey had called for the UN Security Council to discuss attacks against Turkish-backed Turkmens. Approximately 1,700 people had fled the area in the previous three days due to battles between Syrian government forces and anti-government Syrian Turkmen and al-Nusra Front fighters. Russia has bombed the area near the Turkish border to support Syrian government forces.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Background
Syrian Turkmen formed their own armed brigades called Syrian Turkmen Brigades in opposition to the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad, loosely affiliated with other rebels such as the Free Syrian Army. The Turkmen brigades also cooperate with al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate the al-Nusra Front and with the Salafi coalition known as Ahrar al-Sham. In Latakia the Turkish-supported rebels formed the Jabal al-Turkman Brigade.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, The shootdown
On 24 November 2015 at 9:24 am, as it was returning to Khmeimim airbase, a Russian Sukhoi Su-24 aircraft with tail number 83 was shot down near the Syrian–Turkish border by a missile from a patrolling Turkish Air Force F-16 fighter jet. Later analysis suggested that a radar guided medium range AIM-120 AMRAAM was responsible for the shot being fired between 9 and 12 miles away. The Economist reported that the two Su-24s were on their way to strike Syrian Turkmen targets. Syrian government forces supported by the Shiite militias and the Russian Air Force were fighting against Syrian Turkmen brigades, Army of Conquest and al-Nusra Front fighters.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, The shootdown
Early reports from Russian news agencies citing the Russian Defence Ministry, indicated that the aircraft had been downed by a ground-based strike from Syrian Turkmen rebels, but they later confirmed Turkish reports that the aircraft had been shot down by Turkish fighter jets. The Turkish military released a graphic of the Russian aircraft's flight pattern, which shows it crossing the southern tip of Hatay Province before being shot down and crashing near Turkmen Mountain. Russia then countered Turkey's radar trace analysis by publishing a different flight map showing no airspace violation. Three days later, on 27 November, Russia published another map.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, The shootdown
According to Turkey's statement to the UN Security Council, two aircraft, whose nationalities were unknown at the time, violated Turkish airspace up to a depth of 2.19 km (1.36 mi) for about 17 seconds. According to Turkish officials, the aircraft were given 10 warnings within the span of 5 minutes, by operators at a ground-controlled interception station, to change their course. Turkey later released the audio recording ("The unknown air traffic position to Humaymim 020 radial 26 miles. This is Turkish Air Force speaking on Guard. You are approaching Turkish airspace, change your heading south immediately").


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, The shootdown
The Russians claim there were no warnings. Analysts have noted that Turkey's warnings were issued on a dedicated mutually-agreed radio channel, which was the international Guard (emergency) channel (243.0 MHz), but the R-862M radio fitted to the Su-24M is not able to monitor this channel without optional equipment, which may not have been installed. According to Turkey, one aircraft left Turkish national airspace after violating it; the other aircraft was fired upon by Turkish F-16s patrolling the area and crashed into Syrian territory after being hit in Turkish airspace. Based on its heat signature, an anonymous American official stated that the jet was hit in Syrian airspace after a short incursion into Turkey. On 30 November, US Ambassador to NATO Douglas Lute stated that the data supported the Turkish version of events.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, The shootdown
According to the Russian Defence Ministry, the Su-24 was downed from an altitude of 6,000 metres (20,000 ft) within one kilometre of the Turkish border and in Syrian airspace, while returning to the Khmeimim airbase in Syria. Russia has maintained that the aircraft never left Syrian territory. The Russian Defence Ministry confirmed the aircraft was an Su-24 but said that it had proof the jet was within Syrian airspace. According to the commander-in-chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces, Viktor Bondarev, a Turkish F-16 entered Syria's airspace for 40 seconds and flew 2 km (1.2 mi) inside Syrian territory, but the Russian warplane did not violate the Turkish border.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Casualties
Both pilots ejected after the aircraft was hit. Initially, the deputy commander of a Turkmen Syrian opposition rebel brigade in Syria, Alparslan Çelik (a Turkish citizen and member of the Grey Wolves ultra-nationalist group), claimed his forces had shot dead the two pilots as they descended with parachutes, and in a film a person could be heard in the background repeatedly shouting "Stop shooting!" in Turkish as the parachutists descended. A Turkish official reported that he believed both were alive. It was also reported that one of the pilots had been captured by the Turkmen fighters and a video was circulated which allegedly showed the pilot's body.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Casualties
Russia's military general staff spokesman Lieutenant General Sergei Rudskoi confirmed that one pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Oleg Anatolyevich Peshkov, was killed by ground fire; the other pilot, who was the navigator, was rescued.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Casualties
The shooting of an ejecting aircraft pilot is in contravention of Article 42 of the 1977 Protocol I of the Geneva Convention.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Casualties
The pilot of the Su-24, Oleg Peshkov, 45, was posthumously awarded the Hero of the Russian Federation, the country's highest military honour; the surviving weapon systems officer, Konstantin Murakhtin, and the killed rescuer, Alexander Pozynich, 29, received the Order of Courage. On 2 December Peshkov was buried with full military honours in the Alley of Heroes of the cemetery in Lipetsk with about 10,000 people attending.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Casualties, Search and rescue
The Turkish state-owned Anadolu Agency showed video footage of the aircraft crashing and the two pilots parachuting down. Russian helicopters conducted low-altitude combat search and rescue flights in the area to look for the pilot.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Casualties, Search and rescue
Two Mil Mi-8 helicopters were sent to find and recover the pilots from the crash site. One of the helicopters was damaged by small-arms fire from Syrian Turkmen Brigade militants, resulting in the death of a naval infantryman, and was forced to make an emergency landing. All the surviving crew of the helicopter were later rescued and evacuated. The Free Syrian Army's 1st Coastal Division claimed that they subsequently destroyed the abandoned helicopter using a US-made BGM-71 TOW missile.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Casualties, Search and rescue
As the Russian armed forces began planning an operation to extract the pilot, the Iranian General Qasem Soleimani contacted them and proposed a joint rescue operation under his supervision. The rescue team which General Soleimani put forth consisted of eight Hezbollah special forces personnel and 18 Syrian commandos, who were trained by Iran and had firsthand knowledge of the geography of the area, with Russia providing transport, logistical support, air cover and satellite intelligence.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Casualties, Search and rescue
One of the pilots, Oleg Peshkov, had been wounded and then killed by rebels after parachuting from the plane, while the other one, Konstantin Murahtin, escaped and was rescued. During the rescue mission a Russian Marine, Alexandr Pozynich, had been fatally wounded. The rescue team returned to base safely and handed over the pilot to the Syrian Army. Vladimir Putin was reportedly closely following the operation. The body of the dead pilot was flown to Turkey and Russian officials in Ankara arranged for its repatriation to Moscow.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Aftermath
On 25 November, the foreign ministers of Russia and Turkey spoke for an hour by telephone, and both governments stated that day that they would not initiate a war as a result of the incident. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told journalists that his country would "seriously reevaluate" its relationship with Turkey. The Russian Defence Ministry broke off military contacts with the Turkish Armed Forces and Russian defence officials said that future airstrikes in Syria would be escorted by fighters. According to the Russian Minister of Defence Sergey Shoygu, Russia will deploy S-400 surface-to-air missile systems to Khmeimim airbase in Syria, where the Russian Aerospace Forces group is stationed.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Reactions, Involved parties
A few hours after the incident, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke from Sochi, where he was meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan, saying that it was a "stab in the back by terrorist accomplices," that Russia would not put up with attacks like this one and that Russia–Turkey relations would be affected. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was due to visit Turkey the next day, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had scheduled a visit to Russia later in the year. Lavrov cancelled his trip after the incident. Lieutenant General Sergey Rudskoi said that forces threatening Russia would be targeted.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Reactions, Involved parties
Protesters pelted the Turkish embassy in Russia with eggs before police cleared the area. On 26 November, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced broad economic sanctions against Turkey that would affect their joint investment projects, including the possible shelving of a multibillion-dollar deal to build Turkish Stream gas pipeline through Turkey. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said that Turkey would regret its actions. Putin accused Turkey of helping ISIL in the illegal oil trade, saying that funds from the sale of oil were used to support terrorists.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Reactions, Involved parties
The Russian Air Force had recently started bombing the oil tankers en route to other countries, including Turkey, and the infrastructure for processing and storage of crude oil. Putin later claimed that the Turkish shoot-down was an "ambush" that had been prepared in advance. A bill making denial of the Armenian genocide illegal has been introduced in the Russian State Duma.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Reactions, Involved parties
Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi said the shooting would be added to the criminal record of insurgent groups fighting in the country and of those countries that were financing and arming them; he mentioned Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar as the strongest such backers.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Reactions, Involved parties
Erdoğan pointed out that Turkey had the right to defend its airspace. He said worse incidents have not taken place in the past because of Turkey's restraint. He also stressed that Turkey's actions were fully in line with the new rules of engagement adopted after Syria shot down a Turkish jet in 2012. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu offered condolences and said the Turkish pilots did not know it was a Russian plane.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Reactions, Involved parties
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu defended the action saying Turkey has the right to defend itself against border violations, but that it did not amount to an aggression against any foreign territory and the country called for NATO to hold an extraordinary meeting later in the day. He further called for working towards solving the crisis in Syria. Davutoğlu also said that attacks on Turkmen could not be legitimised under the justification of attacking ISIL. Turkey's Ambassador to the United States, Serdar Kilic, asked for Turkey's warnings to be taken seriously.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Reactions, Involved parties
Davutoglu said Turkey would cooperate but did not offer an apology. Dozens of protesters were reported outside the Russian consulate in Istanbul demonstrating against Russian military operations in the Turkmen-populated areas of Syria.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Reactions, Involved parties
Russian President Putin issued a decree within hours of Turkey's statement which placed a ban on trade of some goods, forbade extensions of labour contracts for Turks working in Russia as of 1 January 2016, ended chartered flights from Russia to Turkey, disallowed Russian tourism companies from selling holiday packages with a stay in Turkey, and called for ending visa-free travel between Russia and Turkey, while ordering tighter control over Turkish air carriers in Russia, using security as a justification.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Reactions, Involved parties
Russia started bombarding rebels – including Turkmen insurgents – in Latakia, ignoring demands made by Turkey over the previous week to end its military operations close to the Turkish border. A Turkmen commander said missiles fired from Russian warships in the Mediterranean were also hitting the area. Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that as soon as the pilot was rescued the groups responsible for the attack had been killed by Russian bombing and Syrian government rocket artillery.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Reactions, Involved parties
A Turkish supply convoy, reportedly carrying small arms, machine-guns and ammunition, was bombed by what is believed to have been Russian airstrikes in the northwestern town of Azaz, in north-western Syria. Claimed as an aid convoy by the Turks, no organization has as yet confirmed that the convoy belonged to them. At least seven people died and ten people were injured as around 20 trucks went up in flames. Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency accused Russia of supporting the Kurdish YPG, PYD and Syrian Democratic Forces.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Reactions, Involved parties
On 25 November – the day after the jet was shot down, a Russian lawmaker, Sergei Mironov, introduced a bill to the Russian parliament that would criminalize the denial of the Armenian genocide, a political move that Turkey has strongly opposed when countries like France and Greece adopted similar laws.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Reactions, Involved parties
On 26 November, Russia deployed the guided missile cruiser Moskva armed with S-300F (SA-N-6 Grumble) long-range SAM missiles positioned off Latakia, off the Syrian coast and S-400 (SA-21 Growler) mobile SAM systems to Khmeimim airbase. The Russian military warned it would shoot down any aerial target that posed a threat to its planes.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Reactions, Involved parties
On 26 November, the Russian Ministry of Defence broke off contact with the Turkish military. All existing channels of communication between the two sides have been shut down, the ministry said.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Reactions, Involved parties
On 27 November, Russia announced that it had also suspended its participation in joint Black Sea naval drills indefinitely. The Russian navy's envoy in charge of coordinating the actions of Russia's Black Sea Fleet with the Turkish navy has reportedly been recalled. On 27 November, Russian Foreign minister Sergey Lavrov announced that Moscow will halt the existing visa-free regime starting on 1 January, saying that Turkey has become a conduit for terrorists and has been reluctant to share information with Moscow about Russian citizens accused of involvement in terrorist activities.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Reactions, Involved parties
On 28 November, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree imposing economic sanctions against Turkey. The decree, which came into force immediately, banned charter flights from Russia to Turkey, prevented tour firms selling holidays there, and outlawed some Turkish imports, and halted or curbed the economic activities of Turkish firms and nationals.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Reactions, Involved parties
On 2 December, Russian Deputy Defence Minister Anatoly Antonov said in a media briefing with foreign journalists that Turkey was the biggest buyer of "stolen" oil from Syria and Iraq and accused the family of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of being directly involved in the trade of petroleum with the Islamic State group. On 3 December, Putin referred to the incident during his annual state of the nation speech.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Reactions, Involved parties
At his annual press conference on 17 December 2015, when asked about a third-party involvement in the current Russian-Turkish relations deteriorated by the shootdown of Russian Su-24, Vladimir Putin remarked "…if someone in the Turkish government decided to lick the Americans in a certain place, well I don't know then, was that the right decision or not? ".


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Reactions, Involved parties
On 23 December, Selahattin Demirtaş, co-leader of Turkey's pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), criticized Ankara's stance regarding a Russian jet shot down by Turkey.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Reactions, Involved parties
On 27 December, the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet published an interview with Alparslan Çelik who spoke about the downing. TASS reported that the Turkish militant had fought in Syria for two years. The Russian foreign ministry expressed surprise and indignation that a major Turkish newspaper had given floor to the "murderer and terrorist... filled with hatred towards Russia and the Russian people." On 30 December, the Russian foreign ministry called for Ankara to arrest Çelik.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Reactions, Involved parties
In June 2016, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin expressing sympathy and 'deep condolences' to the family of the victims. An investigation was also reopened into the suspected Turkish military personnel involved in the incident. Russian media interpreted the contents of the letter as an apology for downed aircraft. Three weeks later (in the meantime, there had been a coup d'état attempt against him), Erdoğan announced in an interview that the two Turkish pilots who downed Russian aircraft were arrested on suspicion that they have links to the Gülen movement, and that a court should find out "the truth".


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Reactions, Involved parties
On 5 December 2016, Russian Academy of Sciences senior official Ruslan Kurbanov said the shootdown order was given by a Gülen movement follower Turkish colonel in Incirlik Air Base. Kurbanov further accused the movement of being CIA spy network that tried to destroy Russia–Turkey relations with the shootdown.


2015 Russian Sukhoi Su-24 shootdown, Reactions, Financial markets
The MICEX and RTS Index, and Borsa Istanbul fell over 1%. The Turkish lira also dropped following news of the shootdown, as did broader European stock markets.


2015 Russian Super Cup
The 2015 Russian Football Super Cup (Russian: Суперкубок России по футболу) was the 13th Russian Super Cup match, a football match which was contested between the 2014–15 Russian Premier League champion, Zenit Saint Petersburg, and the 2014–15 Russian Cup champion, Lokomotiv Moscow.


2015 Russian Super Cup
The match was held on 12 July 2015 at the Petrovsky Stadium, in Saint Petersburg.


2015 Russian Super Cup, Gallery
Luís Neto takes a selfie with the trophy after the triumph


2015 Russian wildfires
From 12 to 16 April 2015, a series of wildfires spread across southern Siberia, Russia. In the Republic of Khakassia, 29 people were killed and 6,000 left homeless. Further east in Zabaykalsky Krai, four people died in wildfires near Chita. Damage was also reported in Inner Mongolia.


2015 Russian wildfires, Wildfires
The series of wildfires began on Sunday morning, 12 April in Khakassia as intentional fires set to clear grass for agriculture were caught by strong winds and got out of control. Warm, dry weather help spread the fires, which quickly spread into the region's forests; daytime temperatures had reached 25 °C and spreading waves of flames soared to 3 meters in height. Russian television said the fires could be seen from space on satellite imagery. At 1 p.m. local time (6:00 GMT), a state of emergency was declared. Fire control planes and helicopters were dispatched by the Ministry of Emergency Situations, but the fires were not completely extinguished until around 6:00 a.m. on 13 April.


2015 Russian wildfires, Wildfires
Separately, 86 wildfires were reported in Zabaykalsky Krai from 13–14 April. Fires approached the city of Chita, threatening to ignite an arms dump. Visibility was reduced to 200–300 m.  Eyewitnesses described the scene as "an apocalypse" as Chita was filled with smoke for days. An estimated 1,850 military personnel and volunteers worked to extinguish the fires. According to The Kremlin, Vladimir Putin personally took charge of coordinating disaster response. The fires were reported out on 15 April; however, the report was incorrect and fires remained ongoing on 16 April.


2015 Russian wildfires, Wildfires
Chinese media reports said the fires also spread into Inner Mongolia.


2015 Russian wildfires, Impact
The wildfires killed at least 29 people in Khakassia, with three people unaccounted for as of 16 April. Approximately 900 others were injured. Seventy-seven people were hospitalized, with eight in critical condition as of 14 April. Approximately 1,300 homes across 34 villages were damaged, leaving roughly 6,000 people homeless. The town of Shira (near Lake Shira) was hardest hit, with 420 homes burned to the ground. As of 16 April, approximately 800 people across Khakassia remained in hospitals or emergency shelters.


2015 Russian wildfires, Impact
Livestock losses were estimated at 5,000 cattle and sheep, with the possibility of more deaths from starvation due to lack of grass to eat. More than 10,000 km2 of land was burnt in the fires. The Khakassia government designated 14 April as an official day of mourning. In the aftermath of the fires, looters were seen stealing bicycles, pipes, and other metal objects to sell as scrap metal.


2015 Russian wildfires, Impact
In Zabaykalsky Krai, four deaths were reported. About 20 people were injured, with one person hospitalized. Over 150 homes across 19 villages were damaged, leaving more than 800 people homeless. An estimated 107,000 hectares of land was burnt.


2015 Russian wildfires, Impact
In Inner Mongolia, 85 buildings were damaged as well as farming equipment and other vehicles. The damage there was estimated at US$3.2 million.


2015 Russian wildfires, Impact
The Federal Forestry Agency blamed local officials for failing to follow agency guidelines for preventing wildfires. Alexei Yaroshenko, a Greenpeace forest expert, demanded that  Emergency Situations Minister Vladimir Puchkov and regional Governor Viktor Zimin be punished for the incident. Deputy Emergency Minister Alexander Chupriyan blamed carelessness by citizens saying, "This fire would not have happened if no one played with matches." At least five criminal cases related to the fires have been filed. Authorities did not rule out that some of the fires may have been set by arsonists.


2015 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team
The 2015 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team represents Rutgers University in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It is the Scarlet Knights' second season as a member of the Big Ten Conference, and second as a member of the East Division. The team was led by Kyle Flood, in his fourth year as head coach, and play its home games at High Point Solutions Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey.


2015 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team
The season began with controversies over an investigation into violations of NCAA regulations and school policy concerning coach Flood's improper contacting of a professor concerning a student's academic status; and the arrests and dismissal of several football players on violent felony charges connected to an April 2015 home invasion robbery in New Brunswick. Coach Flood was suspended for three games after the investigation found improper contact was made.


2015 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team, Before the season, Previous season
The 2014 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team finished the regular season 7–5, with a highlight win against Michigan for the team's first Big Ten Conference win. After defeating Indiana the Scarlet Knights become bowl eligible and were invited to play in the Quick Lane Bowl against North Carolina of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Rutgers defeated the Tar Heels in Detroit, Michigan 40–21 finishing their 2014 Season at 8–5.


2015 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team, Before the season, Controversies and legal issues
The 2015 football season began with the shadow of several incidents of alleged misconduct and criminal charges. On May 24, 2015, redshirt freshman defensive back Darian Dailey was arrested in Florida on felony robbery charges. In late August 2015, head coach Kyle Flood suspended five players from the first half of the season opener for violating team policies on breaking curfews. These players were Ruhann Peele (cornerback), Leonte Carroo (receiver), Tim Gleeson (punter), Chris Laviano (quarterback) and Kevin Marquez (linebacker).


2015 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team, Before the season, Controversies and legal issues
There were doubts that Flood would be coaching the season opener and some speculation amongst news media and fans about the possibility of Flood's firing or resignation. Around this time, many fans had called for the return of Flood's predecessor, Greg Schiano as head coach. According to The Asbury Park Press, students remarked that the recent controversies tarnish the university's reputation.


2015 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team, Before the season, Controversies and legal issues
On September 3, 2015, ten suspects, including six players, were arrested and charged with felony assault, armed robbery, criminal restraint, conspiracy, riot, and weapons possession charges stemming from an April 26, 2015 incident in New Brunswick, New Jersey characterized as a home invasion robbery. One victim, identified only as a 19-year-old male Rutgers student was reported to have had his jaw broken in the assault. Five players—Ruhann Peele (cornerback), Nadir Barnwell (cornerback), Razohnn Gross (fullback), Delon Stephenson (free safety), and Andre Boggs (cornerback)—were dismissed from the team moments before the season-opening football game against the Norfolk State Spartans. Former player Tejay Johnson (free safety and wide receiver), was also arrested on September 3. A sixth player, Lloyd Terry (fullback) was arrested a few days later. Several of the players arrested in this incident had previous arrests in 2013 and 2014 for other criminal charges.


2015 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team, Before the season, Controversies and legal issues
One of the suspects, Barnwell, was the center of an ongoing investigation into head coach Kyle Flood for possible violations of school policy and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) regulations prohibiting the athletic coaching staff from contacting faculty regarding the academic eligibility status of a player. According to New Jersey Advance Media, publisher of the Star-Ledger and other statewide newspapers, Flood defied academic support staff by contacting one of Barnwell's professors and that sources stated that Flood attempted to "circumvent the process and trying to get the kid eligible".


2015 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team, Before the season, Controversies and legal issues
Flood suspended wide receiver Leonte Carroo indefinitely after his arrest on September 13, 2015. Carroo was arrested by the Rutgers University Police Department and charged with simple assault stemming from a domestic violence incident that occurred on campus shortly after the end of the game against Washington State. Carroo was the seventh Rutgers player arrested in ten days. Star-Ledger and New Jersey Advance Media sports columnist Steve Politi described Carroo as "another casualty of the season from hell" and called the incident further proof that Flood had lost control of the team. Politi mused, "you wonder how soon before his head coach joins him on the list"—implying that Flood's tenure as coach should be ending with his termination.