Gloucester have been criticised by their own fans for printing the Russian flag on the back of Kirill Gotovtsev’s shirt in contravention of the country’s widespread ostracism from international sport.

Since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has been banned from participating in multiple sports or at least under its own flag. At last summer’s Olympics, Russian athletes were not allowed to compete under their own country’s flag and had to be classified as ‘neutral athletes’.

World Rugby also banned Russia from qualifying for the men’s 2023 World Cup and at present the country would not be allowed to compete in the 2027 tournament in Australia.

However, a Gloucester supporter spotted that Gotovtsev was permitted to wear a small emblem of the country’s flag just below his neckline.

Gloucester have a policy of putting a country’s flag on the shirts of all their capped internationals in the Premiership and Gotovtsev is understood to have had Russia’s flag on his shirt since he arrived at the club four years ago.

Gloucester supporter Richard Paish posted on X: “As a @‌gloucesterrugby supporter & grandson of Ukrainians I find it wrong that Gotovtsev is allowed to wear a Russian flag on his shir especially in a city that has a prominent Ukrainian community very poor.”

Prop Gotovtsev grew up in Siberia and originally trained as a wrestler before switching to bobsleigh and eventually settling on rugby.

The 37-year-old signed for Gloucester in 2021 and has made more than 50 appearances for the club.

“When I was 10 years old, I started freestyle wrestling and immediately fell in love with the sport. I found myself doing it for 15 years! It was 15 years of confrontation with myself and with the strongest of rivals. I managed to win several international tournaments and became a prize-winner at the national championship,” he told the Gloucester club website.

“But I couldn’t get to the top of this sport. Wrestling gave me the way to life and is the foundation of my personality, both physically and mentally. But I felt an unrealised potential in myself and I made one of the most difficult decisions in my life, I switched to another sport, bobsleigh!

“I spent a year and a half in this sport, it gave me unique knowledge and technique, but the selection for the Olympic Games in Sochi left much to be desired. In February 2014, with all my experience and ambitions, I came to the Krasny Yar Rugby Club which is where I started my rugby journey.”

Gloucester Rugby and Premiership Rugby have been approached for comment.