McLennan (21), who grew up in Oamaru, is heading to Krasnoyarsk to play professional rugby for Krasny Yar.
He leaves next week, along with fellow Canterbury players Kieran Coll and Harry de la Tour and coach Sean Carter. Krasny Yar has an association with Canterbury rugby.
McLennan, who played First XV rugby for Waitaki Boys' High School and also played senior rugby for North Otago while at school in 2006, has played for New Zealand Universities since 2007.
He has played for Canterbury at under-19 and colts level and was the colts player of the year last year. He was part of this year's intake of the Canterbury Rugby Academy.
McLennan, who has completed a sport and recreation degree at Lincoln University, plays at fullback and first five-eighth. He was looking forward to the challenge of playing in a foreign country.
He admitted he was a little apprehensive - "it's going into the unknown really" - but he was pleased to be going with others.
The Krasny Yar squad has been in New Zealand and McLennan has been training and playing with it for the past month. Only about five or six spoke English, although one of the coaches spoke good English, he said. He knew only a few words of Russian.
McLennan expected the profile of rugby in Russia to be boosted with the country qualifying for the Rugby World Cup for the first time.
He will have a month's paid travel after his contract finishes in October and hopes to give the Canterbury NPC side "a good crack" next year.
