Ritvars Rugins is a Latvian footballer

Football (soccer)

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...

, who currently plays for the Latvian Higher League club FK Ventspils

FK Ventspils

FK Ventspils is a Latvian football club, based at Ventspils Olimpiskais Stadions in Ventspils city and is one of the most popular football clubs in the country. FK Ventspils plays in the Latvian Virsliga. They are the current champions of the tournament....

 and Latvia national football team

Latvia national football team

The Latvian national football team is controlled by the Latvian Football Federation, the governing body for football in Latvia and represents the country in international football competitions, such as the World Cup and the European Championships. So far, they have never qualified for a FIFA World...

.

Early career and FK Ventspils

Ritvars Rugins started playing football at the age of 9 in his local club Tukums 2000

FK Tukums 2000

FK Tukums 2000 is Latvian football club located in Tukums. Since its foundation, the club has been training young boys and girls. In 2007 the club formed a men team, that could play in the second-highest division of Latvian football ....

. In 2007 he joined the Latvian Higher League club FK Ventspils

FK Ventspils

FK Ventspils is a Latvian football club, based at Ventspils Olimpiskais Stadions in Ventspils city and is one of the most popular football clubs in the country. FK Ventspils plays in the Latvian Virsliga. They are the current champions of the tournament....

. In 2008 he played his first league match for the team, it was his only appearance that season. In 2009 he played 14 games and scored twice. In 2010 he scored 3 goals in 22 games. Year 2011 saw him playing 29 matches and scoring 4 times. During that season Rugins was tried out in different positions, as the coach Sergei Podpaly

Sergei Podpaly

Sergei Ivanovich Podpaly is a retired association football player and now coach...

 faced a lack of defenders all season long. Ritvars usually plays as a midfielder, but periodically has also been part of the defensive and attacking lines, being described as a very universal player. Rugins is a three-time Latvian champion and has also won the Latvian Cup and Baltic League

Baltic League

The Baltic League is a Baltic football club tournament, launched in 2007 inspired by the now defunct Scandinavian tournament Royal League and by the Baltic Basketball League. The top four club sides from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania take part in the competition...

 - each once respectively.

International career

Rugins played for Latvia U-21

Latvia national under-21 football team

The Latvia national under-21 football team represents the under-21s of Latvia and is controlled by the Latvian Football Federation, the governing body of football in Latvia. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...

 until 2010, scoring once in 12 matches. He made his debut for the national team in a friendly match against China

China national football team

The China PR national football team is the national association football team of the People's Republic of China and is governed by the Chinese Football Association...

 on November 14, 2011. As of November 2011, Rugins has been capped 5 times for the national side

Latvia national football team

The Latvian national football team is controlled by the Latvian Football Federation, the governing body for football in Latvia and represents the country in international football competitions, such as the World Cup and the European Championships. So far, they have never qualified for a FIFA World...

.

FK Ventspils

• Latvian champion
  • 2007, 2008, 2011
• Latvian Cup winner
  • 2011
• Baltic League champion
  • 2010

External links

• Player's profile footballdatabase.eu
• Player's profile soccerway.com
• Player's profile transfermarkt.co.uk.