Английская Википедия:Georgia national rugby union team
Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:For Шаблон:Use dmy dates Шаблон:Infobox national rugby team The Georgia national rugby union team (Шаблон:Lang-ka, Шаблон:Transl), nicknamed The Lelos,[1] represents Georgia in men's international rugby union. The team is administered by the Georgian Rugby Union and takes part in the annual Rugby Europe Championship and the Rugby World Cup, which takes place every four years.
Georgia is currently considered a second-tier rugby union nation and is one of the world's fastest-growing rugby nations. The Lelos participate in the Rugby Europe Championship, winning the tournament in 2001 and every year since 2006-08, with the exception of 2017. The bulk of the national squad are based in France, in both the Top 14 and lower divisions. This is a practice that was popularised by the former national team coach, Claude Saurel, a Frenchman. Rugby is one of the most popular sports in Georgia. The national team qualified for the Rugby World Cup six times, first in 2003 – playing against rugby powers such as England and South Africa. The Lelos won their first ever World Cup match in 2007, when they beat Namibia 30–0. Since 2013, Georgia has hosted the World Rugby Tbilisi Cup.
Honours
- Rugby Europe International Championship
- Antim Cup
- Winners (18): 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 (1), 2023 (2), 2024(record)
History
Soviet era
There were several unsuccessful attempts to introduce a rugby union into Georgia, the earliest known being in 1928, with subsequent attempts also in 1940 and in 1948. Rugby was introduced to Georgia by Jacques Haspekian, an Armenian man from Marseilles in France who taught the game to students in the late 1950s through to the mid-1960s, although he then subsequently returned in France. He is still alive and living in Marseilles, he was interviewed on French radio on the occasion of Georgia playing France in the 2007 Rugby World Cup. The first rugby session was held on 15 October 1959 in Tbilisi, at the racecourse, where 20 people attended the meeting. The first Georgian club formed was the GPI (Georgian Polytechnical Institute), now known as "Qochebi".
Rugby's popularity in Georgia might be explained by its resemblance to the traditional Georgian game named "Lelo" or "Lelo Burti" (meaning "Field Ball"). This game was played in Georgia from ancient times and is still played on occasions in rural areas. A field ("Lelo") was selected between two river creeks which represented a playing ground. Two teams, usually consisting of the male population of neighboring villages, would face each other. The number of players from each side was not set, but included any able men each village could summon. A large, heavy ball was placed in the middle of the field and the goal of the game was to carry it over the river creek of the opposing side.
The first teams appeared in 1959. The Georgia Rugby Union was founded in 1964, but until the late 1980s it was part of the Soviet Union's rugby federation. The rugby union connection between France and Georgia started as links were established by the then powerful French Communist Party and many other left-wing organisations. Georgia initially did not have its own team and its best players would play for the USSR team.
In 1988 Georgia produced their first national sevens side, while still a Soviet republic. In September 1989, Georgia got together with other FIRA countries to host a tour by Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe's first match on the tour was in the wet against Georgia in Kutaisi, west of Tbilisi, which Georgia won 16–3. The next year Georgia went to Zimbabwe where they played two tests, losing the first in Bulawayo and winning the second 26–10 in Harare.
1990s
On 9 April 1991 Georgia declared independence from the Soviet Union. Georgia was now a rugby union nation but getting matches was not easy: Commonwealth of Independent States, which Georgia did not join, was the successor team of the Soviet Union and played matches in 1992. Georgia were limited to the odd game against Ukraine until they gained membership of the World Rugby in 1992.
French coach, Claude Saurel, first arrived in Georgia in 1997 with a brief to assess the standard of sport; he and his development team have helped boost the profile of the sport. Saurel went on to work with the Georgia national rugby sevens team, until he was appointed as the national coach in the summer of 1999.
Georgia's 1998 loss to Romania saw them play a two legged repechage play-off against Tonga to qualify for the 1999 World Cup. On that occasion Georgia lost the first leg 37–6 in [[Nukuʻalofa|NukuШаблон:Okinaalofa]] before a 28–27 win in Tbilisi. This was not enough and Georgia failed to qualify.
2000s: World Cup play
After France and Italy dropped from the reborn European Nations Cup, Georgia became a major force in the tournament. In 2000, Georgia finished second in the competition, finishing behind Romania. Rugby union took off in the country, the travel and opportunities to land lucrative contracts in France made rugby union a glamorous pursuit in Georgia. Georgia placed second in the 2001–02 tournament. When Georgia played Russia in the European Nations Cup 65,000 people crammed into the national stadium in Tbilisi.
Georgian first made an impact at Rugby Sevens by finishing a respectable 10th in the 2001 edition of the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Argentina.
In October 2002 Georgia faced Russia, in what was at the time one of the most important clashes ever between the two national sides. The victorious nation would head to the 2003 Rugby World Cup, and the loser would be relegated to fight it out for a repechage position. Neither nation had ever been to a World Cup, though Georgia had come close in 1999. 50,000[2] spectators turned out to the national stadium. Both nations kicked penalty goals in the first half, but Russia moved ahead with a 13–9 lead through a try, but Georgia were able to score a try of their own just before half time, with Levan Tsabadze putting them in front 14–13 at the break. Georgia held on, winning 17–13, a victory which sparked celebrations throughout the capital.[3] Three of the 75 French-based Georgian players were denied permission to play in the tournament and were suspended. Another five were sacked and arrived in Australia as free agents. In a warm-up game held in Asti the Georgians lost to Italians 31–22.
In the 2003 Rugby World Cup, Georgia were grouped into pool C alongside giants – South Africa and England. They suffered their heaviest ever defeat when beaten by England 84–6 in their opening game. In their second match, Samoa comfortably eased to a 46–9 victory. Although they performed well against the Springboks (losing 46–19) they were disappointingly defeated by Uruguay 24–12, in a match that they were expected to win. They lost all four of their matches but had impressed against South Africa. Despite the sad financial state of their union, qualification has seen the sport's profile rise throughout Georgia.
In the 2007 Rugby World Cup Georgia were drawn against Argentina, Ireland, Namibia and tournament hosts France in Pool D. The team recorded their first win in the rugby world cup with a 30–0 win over Namibia in their Pool D match at Stade Felix-Bollaert. The foundation for the victory was laid by Georgia's experienced forward pack who wore down their opponents at the breakdown. The 2007 world cup campaign is also well remembered for Georgians by a brilliant display against Ireland, where Georgia narrowly lost the match 10–14. The tournament was over with 7–64 defeat to hosts France on 30 September.
2010–2019
At 2011 Rugby World Cup, Georgia's Pool B included England, Argentina and Scotland, as well as local rivals Romania. Despite the close nature of their pool, Georgia were impressive in all matches, including a tight match against Scotland which was lost 15–6, thus missing a bonus point narrowly and a 41–10 loss against England, which featured a man-of-the-match performance by flanker Mamuka Gorgodze. Georgia went on to record only their second ever Rugby World Cup win against Romania, winning 25–9 with another man-of-the-match performance by Mamuka Gorgodze. Georgia finished their campaign with a strong showing against Argentina, leading 7–5 at half time before conceding 20 unanswered points to lose 25–7. Thus Georgia finished their campaign with 1 win and 3 losses.
In the 2015 Rugby World Cup Georgia played against Tonga, Argentina, title holders New Zealand and the top African qualifier Namibia in Pool C. The group opener finished with Georgia's 17–10 victory against Tonga. their third win in a World Cup match. Georgia lost their second match against Argentina 9–54, after trailing 14–9 at half-time. In the third match Georgia were defeated by New Zealand 43–10 in Cardiff. Again in the first half The Lelos held very well against the All Blacks, trailing the world champions 22–10. In the last match Georgia defeated Namibia 17–16 to finish third, their highest in a world cup, and securing their qualification for 2019 Rugby World Cup at the same time.
In 2016, Georgia once again cemented its claim to be the seventh best national rugby team in Europe, when they won the European Nations Cup for the sixth consecutive time, with 10 wins from 10 matches. In the 2016 mid-year internationals the Lelos traveled to the Pacific islands for the first time and finished the historic tour unbeaten with 19–19 draw against Samoa, 23–20 victory against Tonga and 14–3 victory against Fiji.
2019 World Cup
Georgia is approaching the 2019 World Cup with confidence, it has just won three of the four European Nations Championship and has a squad that combines youth (Abzhandadze, Kveseladze) and experience (Mamukashvili, Chilachava, Bregvadze). The Georgian federation aims to reproduce the same performance as in 2015 by finishing third in the group. However, Georgia inherits a strong field made up of Australia, Wales, Fiji and Uruguay. On September 23, the Lelos began the competition by facing Wales with a 43-14 for the British. Six days later, Uruguay faced the Georgians, four days after the South Americans created the feat by beating the Fijians 30-27. Final score for the Lelos 33-7. Georgia then meets Fiji, their rival for third place which means automatic qualification for 2023 in a 10-45 match for the islanders where we will see 3/4 Georgians. Georgia ended up with an honorable 27-8 defeat against the already qualified Australians. The results are disappointing for the Georgians. The team finished fourth behind Fiji and will have to go through the qualification box for 2023. During this Cup, Georgia showed progress but still lacks organization from an offensive point of view, individual and collective quality for three quarters. and often breaks down during the hour of play on a physical level.
2020–present
For this post-World Cup year, Georgia faces two significant changes. Milton Haig, who left after a positive record, has been replaced by his deputy Levan Maisashvili. Additionally, the squad must undergo a renewal process following the retirement of key players such as Mamukashvili, Begadze, and Malaguradze.
On February 1, Georgia clashed with their Romanian rivals in the 2020 European Nations Championship, concluding with a 41-13 victory for the Lelos. Subsequent matches included a 10-23 loss to the Spaniards, a dominant 78-6 victory against the Belgians, and a close 24-39 battle against Portugal. Despite their promising performance, the Lelos' journey in the competition was abruptly halted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
In October, the Georgian federation received an invitation to participate in the Autumn Nations Cup, which brought together the six teams from the Six Nations Tournament, Fiji, and Georgia. Placed in a pool with England, Ireland, and Wales, the Georgians finished last in the competition after conceding a classification match against Fiji. In July 2022, Georgia beat a Tier 1 nation for the first time, Italy, 28-19. In November 2022, Georgia beat Wales 13-12 in Cardiff. During the European Rugby Championship 2023, Georgia again dominated its opponents and clinched the 15th title.
2023 World Cup
During the 2023 rugby world cup Georgia dramatically underperformed to what was expected again they were aiming to cause an upset and guarantee automatic qualification, however came last in their pool having not won a game.
They got off to a rocky start with a 35-15 loss to Australia on the 9th of September though not expected to win they were thought they would put up a better fight. Next, on the 23rd of September they drew with Portugal 18-18 though they were expected to win this; 7 days later they put up a strong fight against Fiji but were eventually defeated 17-12 before finishing on the 7th of October getting battered by Wales 43-19.
Lelo
Lelo or lelo burti (Шаблон:Lang-ka), literally a "field ball [playing]", is a Georgian folk sport, which is a full contact ball game, and very similar to rugby.[4] Within Georgian rugby union terminology, the word lelo is used to mean a try, and the popularity of rugby union in Georgia has also been attributed to it.[5] In 2014, lelo burti, along with khridoli, a traditional martial art, was inscribed by the government of Georgia as a "nonmaterial monument" of culture.[6]
It appears in the 12th century Georgian epic poem The Knight in the Panther's Skin in which the characters play lelo burti.
Kits
Kits timeline
| Шаблон:Football kit | Шаблон:Football kit | Шаблон:Football kit | Шаблон:Football kit | Шаблон:Football kit | Шаблон:Football kit | Шаблон:Football kit | Шаблон:Football kit |
| Шаблон:Football kit | Шаблон:Football kit | Шаблон:Football kit | Шаблон:Football kit | Шаблон:Football kit | Шаблон:Football kit | Шаблон:Football kit | Шаблон:Football kit |
Record
Wins against Tier 1 nations
Шаблон:Rugbybox collapsible2 Шаблон:Rugbybox collapsible2
Overall
Шаблон:World Rugby Rankings Georgia has won 172 of their 276 representative matches, a winning record of 62.18%. Since World Rankings were introduced by World Rugby in September 2003, Georgia have occupied below number ten the majority of the time.
Below is a table of the representative rugby matches played by a Georgia national team at test level up until 2 March 2024.[7]
| Opponent | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | Win % | For | Aga | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Шаблон:Ru | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0.00% | 66 | 186 | −120 |
| Шаблон:Flagicon Argentina XV | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 50.0% | 78 | 91 | −13 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.00% | 23 | 62 | −39 |
| Шаблон:Noflag | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | 19 | 28 | −9 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | 332 | 37 | +295 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | 70 | 8 | +62 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 57.14% | 145 | 141 | +4 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.00% | 53 | 36 | +17 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | 29 | 15 | +14 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | 310 | 58 | +252 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | 19 | 8 | +11 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0.00% | 16 | 165 | −149 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 7 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 5.88% | 97 | 179 | −82 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.00% | 22 | 105 | −83 |
| Шаблон:Flagicon French Barbarians | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | 16 | 15 | +1 |
| Шаблон:Flagicon French Universities | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | 24 | 20 | +4 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | 521 | 64 | +457 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0.00% | 41 | 219 | −178 |
| Шаблон:RuA | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | 5 | 40 | −35 |
| Шаблон:Flagicon Emerging Ireland | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.00% | 27 | 65 | −38 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 33.33% | 39 | 59 | −20 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | 7 | 51 | −44 |
| Шаблон:RuA | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 40.00% | 71 | 83 | −12 |
| Шаблон:RuA | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.00% | 44 | 36 | +8 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 16.67% | 96 | 150 | −54 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | 17 | 5 | +12 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | 28 | 3 | +25 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00% | 10 | 10 | +0 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | 47 | 5 | +42 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | 20 | 10 | +10 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 80.00% | 112 | 73 | +39 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 87.5% | 355 | 107 | +248 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | 10 | 43 | −33 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 33.33% | 81 | 78 | +3 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 26 | 18 | 4 | 4 | 69.23% | 641 | 362 | +279 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 29 | 19 | 9 | 1 | 65.52% | 660 | 452 | +208 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 26 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 92% | 621 | 273 | +348 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 60.00% | 110 | 135 | −25 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0.00% | 54 | 219 | −165 |
| Шаблон:RuA | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.00% | 25 | 90 | −65 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.00% | 28 | 86 | −58 |
| Шаблон:Flagicon South Africa A | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | 17 | 31 | −14 |
| Шаблон:Flagicon Southern Kings | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50.00% | 41 | 51 | −10 |
| Шаблон:Flagicon South Africa President's XV | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00% | 16 | 21 | −5 |
| Шаблон:Flagicon Emerging Springboks | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.00% | 10 | 35 | −25 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 25 | 21 | 3 | 1 | 84% | 790 | 340 | +450 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | 22 | 21 | +1 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 71.43% | 119 | 141 | −22 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% | 281 | 63 | +218 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 57.14% | 139 | 153 | −14 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 66.7% | 152 | 97 | +55 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 20% | 52 | 129 | −77 |
| Шаблон:Ru | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% | 58 | 35 | +23 |
| Total | 276 | 172 | 94 | 10 | 62.32% | 6634 | 4963 | +1671 |
World Cup
Шаблон:Main Georgia has competed in six Rugby World Cup tournaments. Their first appearance was in 2003 when they were placed in Pool C with England, South Africa, Uruguay and Samoa. In 2007 Georgia recorded their first win in the Rugby World Cup with a 30–0 win over Namibia in their Pool D match at Stade Bollaert-Delelis. The Lelos best performance was in 2015, where they finished third in a group for the first time. Georgia have to date won five World Cup matches, drawn one and lost eighteen.
| World Cup record | World Cup Qualification record | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Шаблон:Tooltip | Шаблон:Tooltip | Шаблон:Tooltip | Шаблон:Tooltip | Шаблон:Tooltip | Шаблон:Tooltip | Шаблон:Tooltip | Шаблон:Tooltip | Шаблон:Tooltip | Шаблон:Tooltip | Шаблон:Tooltip | Шаблон:Tooltip | |
| Шаблон:FlagiconШаблон:Flagicon 1987 | Part of USSR: Not an independent country | - | ||||||||||||
| Шаблон:FlagiconШаблон:FlagiconШаблон:Flagicon 1991 | Part of USSR: Not an independent country | Part of USSR: Not an independent country | ||||||||||||
| Шаблон:Flagicon 1995 | did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 38 | |||||||
| Шаблон:Flagicon 1999 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 131 | 221 | ||||||||
| Шаблон:Flagicon 2003 | Pool Stage | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 46 | 200 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 31 | 76 | |
| Шаблон:Flagicon 2007 | Pool Stage | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 50 | 111 | 14 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 426 | 182 | |
| Шаблон:Flagicon 2011 | Pool Stage | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 48 | 90 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 326 | 132 | |
| Шаблон:Flagicon 2015 | Pool Stage | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 53 | 123 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 286 | 106 | |
| Шаблон:Flagicon 2019 | Pool Stage | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 65 | 122 | Automatically Qualified | ||||||
| Шаблон:Flagicon 2023 | Pool Stage | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 64 | 113 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 325 | 146 | |
| Шаблон:Flagicon 2027 | to be determined | Qualification not started | ||||||||||||
| Шаблон:Flagicon 2031 | ||||||||||||||
| Total | 6/10 | 24 | 5 | 1 | 18 | 326 | 759 | 56 | 41 | 4 | 11 | 1540 | 901 | |
Rugby. Georgian all tournament games
| Season | Шаблон:Tooltip | Шаблон:Tooltip | Шаблон:Tooltip | Шаблон:Tooltip | Шаблон:Tooltip | Шаблон:Tooltip | Шаблон:Tooltip | Шаблон:Tooltip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992–94 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 60 | 34 | 8 | 1st |
| 1995 Rugby World Cup qualification | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 38 | 2 | 3nd |
| 1995–96 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 40 | 61 | 10 | 2nd |
| 1996–97 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 87 | 84 | 6 | 4nd |
| 1999 Rugby World Cup qualification | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 74 | 60 | 10 | 2nd |
| 1999 Qual. Play off | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 34 | 64 |
Rugby European Championships
Georgia compete annually in the Rugby Europe Championship (previously named European Nations Cup). They have won the tournament 14 times in 2001, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022
Results correct up until 7 July 2021
| Season | Шаблон:Tooltip | Шаблон:Tooltip | Шаблон:Tooltip | Шаблон:Tooltip | Шаблон:Tooltip | Шаблон:Tooltip | Шаблон:Tooltip | Шаблон:Tooltip | Шаблон:Tooltip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 145 | 105 | +40 | 11 | 2nd |
| 2001 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 167 | 68 | +99 | 15 | 1st |
| 2002 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 184 | 84 | +100 | 12 | 2nd |
| 2003–04 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 193 | 148 | +45 | 21 | 3rd |
| 2005–06 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 353 | 125 | +228 | 26 | 2nd |
| 2007–08 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 292 | 114 | +178 | 28 | 1st |
| 2009–2010 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 328 | 130 | +198 | 27 | 1st |
| 2011–2012 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 316 | 83 | +233 | 42 | 1st |
| 2013–2014 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 286 | 106 | +180 | 41 | 1st |
| 2015–2016 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 346 | 75 | +276 | 45 | 1st |
| 2017 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 136 | 44 | +123 | 19 | 2nd |
| 2018 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 188 | 35 | +153 | 24 | 1st |
| 2019 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 162 | 34 | +128 | 24 | 1st |
| 2020 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 197 | 60 | +137 | 24 | 1st |
| 2021 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 153 | 73 | +80 | 24 | 1st |
| 2022 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 172 | 73 | +99 | 20 | 1st |
| 2023 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 225 | 41 | +184 | – | 1st |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Total | 120 | 102 | 5 | 13 | 3603 | 1309 | +2294 | 405 | – |
Antim Cup
Шаблон:Main The Antim Cup is contested between Georgia and Romania each time the teams meet in a senior international match other than World Cup matches or qualifiers. The holder retains the cup unless the challenger wins the match, and there is no extra time in case of a draw. It is named after the Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan Anthim the Iberian, who came from Georgia.
Players
Current squad
On 28 January, Georgia announced their 35-player squad for the 2024 Rugby Europe Championship.[8]
Head Coach: Шаблон:Flagicon Richard Cockerill
- Caps updated: 18 January 2024
Шаблон:Nat rs start Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs end
Recent call-ups
Шаблон:Nat rs start Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs player Шаблон:Nat rs end
Notable former players
Mamuka Gorgodze – Switched to rugby from basketball aged 17. His first club was Lelo in the Georgian Top League, he was soon selected for the Georgia national team and made his debut in 2003 against Spain, at the age of just 18 and not long after he started playing rugby. However he was not selected for Georgia's first appearance at the 2003 Rugby World Cup later that year. In 2004 he became a regular fixture for the Georgia side. He was a regular in the Georgia side though and was selected for the 2007 Rugby World Cup, and started three of Georgia's four matches at the World Cup, being one of Georgia's star players. Gorgodze became a success as flanker during this season, and halfway through the season French newspaper L'Équipe commented that he improved his technique and became a mobile and unstoppable player. Gorgodze played a big role in Montpellier finishing the 2010–11 Top 14 season as runners up.[9] At the end of the season L'Équipe named him as the best foreigner in the league. He was selected for the Georgia squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup and played all the Georgia matches, being named man of the match in two matches, against England and Romania.Шаблон:Citation needed
Davit Zirakashvili - originally came from a wrestling background, but switched to rugby in 2000. He moved to France in 2002 to play with Fédérale 1 side Aubenas. He moved up the leagues to the Top 14 in the 2004/05 season to play with Clermont where he joined his Georgian compatriot Goderdzi Shvelidze. He also made his debut for Georgia in 2004 against Uruguay. He soon became an important member of both the Clermont and Georgia side. He played in all four of the consecutive Top 14 finals Clermont reached between 2007 and 2010, he scored a try in the 2008 Top 14 final against Toulouse and in 2010 became the first Georgian player to win the Top 14, and represented Georgia in both the 2007, 2011 and 2015 World Cups. In 2010, Zirakashvili was voted Georgian sportsman of the year after some crucial performances for both club and country. He was part of a Georgian scrum which scored three penalty tries and also a pushover try in the calendar year, he also a memorable solo try from 45 metres out against Russia in Trabzon and an important try against Canada. His scrummaging was a key factor in Georgia recording wins against both Canada and USA for the first time, whilst at club level he was part of Clermont's Top 14 winning side. Zirakashvili was also mentioned as one of the best tighthead props of the year in world rugby by The Daily Telegraph.
Ilia Zedginidze – Played as a Number 8 and was a lineout specialist. A member of their inaugural World Cup side in 2003, he captained Georgia in the 2007 tournament, but was forced out of the squad because of an injury. This injury ultimately led to him announcing his retirement from international rugby, after gaining 48 caps. He returned to the squad in late 2008, playing against Scotland A and taking part in the 2009 European Nations Cup, where he scored a game-saving try against Portugal on 14 February 2009.Шаблон:Citation needed
Malkhaz Urjukashvili – Moved to France, where he has been playing. He is one of the best players and scorers for Georgia, holding currently 65 caps for his National Team, with 18 tries and 300 points. His first match was a 29–15 win over Croatia, in Tbilisi, at 12 October 1997, aged only 17 years old. This made him one of the youngest players ever to be capped at international rugby level. He was present at the 2003 Rugby World Cup, playing three matches and scoring 9 points. In the game against England, he kicked a long range penalty that registered as Georgia's first Rugby World Cup points (England eventually won the game 84–6). He was called once again for the 2007 Rugby World Cup, playing in all the four matches and scoring one conversion. He continued to be a valuable player in the 2011 Rugby World Cup qualification, the third Georgia gained in a row.Шаблон:Citation needed
Coaches
Current coaching staff
The current coaching staff of the Georgian national team:[10]
| Name | Nationality | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Vasil Abashidze | Шаблон:Flag | Manager |
| Lekso Iordanishvili | Шаблон:Flag | Manager |
| Richard Cockerill | Шаблон:Flag | Head coach |
| Conor McPhillips | Шаблон:Flag | Attack coach |
| Shaun Sowerby | Шаблон:Flag | Defence coach |
| Irakli Chkonia | Шаблон:Flag | Strength & conditioning coach |
| Davit Nemsadze | Шаблон:Flag | Strength & conditioning coach |
| Dr. Nutsa Shamatava | Шаблон:Flag | Team doctor |
| Abesalom Abramishvili | Шаблон:Flag | Physiotherapist |
| Edward Barry | Шаблон:Flag | Physiotherapist |
| William Lavis | Шаблон:Flag | Rehabilitation specialist |
| Nika Pinaishvili | Шаблон:Flag | GPS-analyst |
| Davit Ramishvili | Шаблон:Flag | Video-analyst |
Player records
Most caps
| # | Player | Pos | Span | Mat | Start | Sub | Won | Lost | Draw | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Davit Kacharava | Centre | 2006–2020 | 122 | 104 | 18 | 79 | 40 | 3 | 65.98 |
| 2 | Merab Kvirikashvili | Fullback | 2003–2018 | 115 | 94 | 21 | 72 | 40 | 3 | 63.91 |
| 3 | Alexander Todua | Wing | 2008– | 111 | 99 | 12 | 69 | 37 | 3 | 61.82 |
| 4 | Shalva Mamukashvili | Hooker | 2011-2023 | 103 | 64 | 39 | 65 | 35 | 3 | 64.45 |
| 5 | Merab Sharikadze | Centre | 2012- | 102 | 100 | 2 | 64 | 33 | 5 | 62.82 |
| 6 | Giorgi Chkhaidze | Flanker | 2002–2017 | 100 | 78 | 22 | 65 | 32 | 3 | 66.50 |
| Lasha Malaghuradze | Fly-half | 2008–2023 | 100 | 52 | 48 | 68 | 30 | 2 | 68.68 | |
| 8 | Lasha Khmaladze | Centre | 2008-2023 | 97 | 73 | 24 | 63 | 30 | 3 | 66.66 |
| 9 | Giorgi Nemsadze | Lock | 2005–2019 | 95 | 71 | 24 | 62 | 32 | 1 | 65.78 |
| 10 | Konstantin Mikautadze | Lock | 2010–2023 | 87 | 76 | 11 | 47 | 37 | 3 | 62.94 |
Шаблон:RefbeginLast updated: Georgia vs Romania, 2 March 2024. Statistics include officially capped matches only.[11]Шаблон:Refend
Most tries
| # | Player | Pos | Span | Mat | Start | Sub | Pts | Tries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aka Tabutsadze | Wing | 2020– | 39 | 39 | 0 | 175 | 35 |
| 2 | Mamuka Gorgodze | Lock | 2003–2019 | 75 | 69 | 6 | 135 | 27 |
| 3 | Davit Kacharava | Centre | 2006–2020 | 122 | 104 | 18 | 125 | 25 |
| 4 | Irakli Machkhaneli | Wing | 2002–2014 | 73 | 68 | 5 | 115 | 23 |
| Tedo Zibzibadze | Centre | 2000–2014 | 77 | 65 | 12 | 115 | 23 | |
| 6 | Merab Sharikadze | Centre | 2012– | 102 | 100 | 2 | 95 | 19 |
| 7 | Alexander Todua | Wing | 2008– | 109 | 97 | 12 | 90 | 18 |
| 8 | Merab Kvirikashvili | Fullback | 2003–2018 | 115 | 94 | 21 | 840 | 17 |
| Malkhaz Urjukashvili | Wing | 1997–2011 | 70 | 66 | 4 | 320 | 17 | |
| 10 | Bessik Khamashuridze | Fullback | 1998–2011 | 61 | 51 | 10 | 75 | 15 |
| Giorgi Nemsadze | Lock | 2005–2019 | 95 | 71 | 24 | 75 | 15 |
Шаблон:RefbeginLast updated: Georgia vs Romania, 2 March 2024. Statistics include officially capped matches only.[12]Шаблон:Refend
Most points
| # | Player | Pos | Span | Mat | Pts | Tries | Conv | Pens | Drop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Merab Kvirikashvili | Fullback | 2003–2018 | 115 | 840 | 17 | 148 | 150 | 3 |
| 2 | Tedo Abzhandadze | Fly-half | 2018– | 50 | 321 | 4 | 77 | 49 | 0 |
| 3 | Pavle Jimsheladze | Fly-half | 1995–2007 | 57 | 320 | 9 | 61 | 48 | 3 |
| Malkhaz Urjukashvili | Wing | 1997–2011 | 70 | 320 | 17 | 47 | 46 | 1 | |
| 5 | Lasha Malaghuradze | Fly-half | 2008–2023 | 100 | 190 | 6 | 38 | 25 | 3 |
| 6 | Aka Tabutsadze | Wing | 2020– | 39 | 175 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Soso Matiashvili | Full-back | 2017–2021 | 32 | 159 | 8 | 25 | 23 | 0 |
| 8 | Mamuka Gorgodze | Lock | 2003–2019 | 75 | 135 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Davit Kacharava | Centre | 2006–2020 | 122 | 125 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Beka Tsiklauri | Fullback | 2008–2018 | 29 | 124 | 5 | 24 | 15 | 2 |
Шаблон:RefbeginLast updated: Georgia vs Romania, 2 March 2024. Statistics include officially capped matches only.[13]Шаблон:Refend
Most matches as captain
| # | Player | Pos | Span | Mat | Won | Lost | Draw | % | Pts | Tries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Merab Sharikadze | Centre | 2014– | 51 | 31 | 17 | 3 | 57.14 | 50 | 10 |
| 2 | Irakli Abuseridze | Scrum-half | 2007–2012 | 36 | 25 | 10 | 1 | 70.83 | 15 | 3 |
| 3 | Ilia Zedginidze | Lock | 2002–2011 | 35 | 19 | 14 | 2 | 57.14 | 30 | 6 |
| 4 | Irakli Machkhaneli | Wing | 2013–2014 | 14 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 75.00 | 10 | 2 |
| Shalva Sutiashvili | Flanker | 2014–2016 | 14 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 96.42 | 5 | 1 | |
| 6 | Mamuka Gorgodze | Flanker | 2013–2017 | 13 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 38.46 | 10 | 2 |
| 7 | Zurab Mtchedlishvili | Lock | 1997–2007 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 58.33 | 10 | 2 |
| Levan Tsabadze | Prop | 2001–2002 | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 79.16 | 15 | 3 | |
| 9 | Giorgi Nemsadze | Lock | 2018–2019 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 81.81 | 0 | 0 |
| Dimitri Oboladze | Flanker | 1993–1998 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 59.09 | 5 | 1 |
Шаблон:RefbeginLast updated: Georgia vs Romania, 2 March 2024. Statistics include officially capped matches only.[14]Шаблон:Refend
Most points in a match
| # | Player | Pos | Pts | Tries | Conv | Pens | Drop | Opposition | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soso Matiashvili | Full Back | 34 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 0 | Шаблон:Ru | Шаблон:Flagicon Tbilisi | 11/10/2017 |
| 2 | Merab Kvirikashvili | Full Back | 32 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 0 | Шаблон:Ru | Шаблон:Flagicon Tbilisi | 06/02/2010 |
| 3 | Luka Matkava | Fly-half | 25 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 | Шаблон:Ru | Шаблон:Flagicon Tbilisi | 05/02/2023 |
| 4 | Merab Kvirikashvili | Full Back | 24 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0 | Шаблон:Ru | Шаблон:Flagicon Lisbon | 08/02/2014 |
| 5 | Paliko Jimsheladze | Fly-half | 23 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | Шаблон:Ru | Шаблон:Flagicon Krasnodar | 09/03/2003 |
| Merab Kvirikashvili | Fly-half | 23 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | Шаблон:Ru | Шаблон:Flagicon Tbilisi | 07/04/2007 | |
| 7 | Merab Kvirikashvili | Fly-half | 22 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | Шаблон:Ru | Шаблон:Flagicon Tbilisi | 17/11/2012 |
| 8 | Malkhaz Urjukashvili | Fly-half | 20 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 0 | Шаблон:Ru | Шаблон:Flagicon Kutaisi | 12/06/2005 |
| Lasha Malaghuradze | Fly-half | 20 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | Шаблон:Ru | Шаблон:Flagicon Madrid | 28/02/2009 | |
| Tedo Abzhandadze | Fly-half | 20 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | Шаблон:Ru | Шаблон:Flagicon Batumi | 10/07/2022 |
Шаблон:RefbeginLast updated: Georgia vs Romania, 2 March 2024. Statistics include officially capped matches only.[15]Шаблон:Refend
Most tries in a match
Шаблон:RefbeginLast updated: Georgia vs Romania, 2 March 2024. Statistics include officially capped matches only.[16]Шаблон:Refend
Coaches
| Years | Coach |
|---|---|
| 1989–1990 | Шаблон:Flagicon David Kilasonia |
| 1991–1993 | Шаблон:Flagicon Temur Bendiashvili |
| 1994–1996 | Шаблон:Flagicon Guram Modebadze |
| 1997 | Шаблон:Flagicon Ross Meurant |
| 1997–2003 | Шаблон:Flagicon Claude Saurel |
| 2004–2007 | Шаблон:Flagicon Malkhaz Cheishvili |
| 2008–2009 | Шаблон:Flagicon Tim Lane |
| 2010–2011 | Шаблон:Flagicon Richie Dixon |
| 2012–2019 | Шаблон:Flagicon Milton Haig |
| 2020, 2023 | Шаблон:Flagicon Levan Maisashvili (Interim) |
| 2021–2023 | Шаблон:Flagicon Levan Maisashvili |
| 2024–present | Шаблон:Flagicon Richard Cockerill |
See also
- Rugby union in Georgia
- Georgia U20
- Georgia U18
- Georgia XV
- Georgia 7s
- Antim Cup
- Soviet Union national rugby union team
- List of Georgia national rugby union players
References
External links
Шаблон:Georgia national rugby union team Шаблон:Rugby union in Georgia Шаблон:National rugby teams Шаблон:National sports teams of Georgia
- ↑ Lelos is from the still-popular ancient traditional Georgian folk-sport of Lelo burti, a sort of rugby played with a pumpkin-shaped ball). Nicknamed The Borjgalosnebi (The Men of the Borjgali i.e. the traditional Georgian seven-armed solar symbol)
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Bath, Richard (ed.) The Complete Book of Rugby (Seven Oaks Ltd, 1997 Шаблон:ISBN) p67
- ↑ Louis, p39
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite news
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ ბორჯღალოსნები
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- Английская Википедия
- Страницы с неработающими файловыми ссылками
- Georgia national rugby union team
- Rugby union in Georgia (country)
- European national rugby union teams
- Teams in European Nations Cup (rugby union)
- Страницы, где используется шаблон "Навигационная таблица/Телепорт"
- Страницы с телепортом
- Википедия
- Статья из Википедии
- Статья из Английской Википедии
.jpg){kind=link}
_01.jpg){kind=link}
