Rugby union in Georgia
Encyclopedia
Rugby union
is a popular team sport played in Georgia
. Rugby union is considered the most popular sport in Georgia, after football.
. It was founded in 1961 (as a domestic body) and became an official affiliate to the International Rugby Board
(IRB) in 1992.
or Lelo Burti
(meaning literally in Georgian
"Field Ball"), which is a full contact ball game, and very similar to rugby. In fact, even within Georgian rugby terminology, the word lelo is used to mean a try.
Lelo 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, with the local priest acting as the referee. 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.
, before the break-up, as well as supplying the Soviet club champion, Dinamo Tbilisi
. Rugby has been played in Georgia since the 1930s, possibly earlier, but its first official test was against a touring Zimbabwe
side.
There were several unsuccessful attempts to introduce rugby 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 very first rugby session was held on October 15, 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".
In 1961, a three team domestic competition was formed, called the Tbilisi Championship. The following year the first match between a Georgian team and a Russian team took place, with Trud Moscow defeating the Georgian club. That year Georgia clubs also went on their first tours, going to Russia and Latvia.
In 1962, the first Soviet Trade-Union tournament was held. In the same year, ten new rugby teams were established in Georgia.
In 1964 the Tbilisi Rugby Section became known as the Georgia Rugby Federation. From the mid 1960s, the Soviet Championship and the Soviet Cup
were introduced for competitive club competition between Soviet rugby clubs, with the first competition being held in 1966. The Georgian clubs were formed as regional selections fed by student teams. The best players would go onto to make the USSR team.
A Moscow team won the first Soviet Championship, though Dymano from Tbilisi came in second place. In 1967 a French trade-union selection visited Georgia. It would not be until 1978, in the Soviet Cup (which was introduced in 1976) that a Georgian team would finish first, which was Locomotivi from Tbilisi. Georgian teams dominated the Soviet Championship and the Soviet Cup in the late 1980s with Kutaisi
winning the championship in 1987 and 1988 and RC AIA Kutaisi
winning in 1989 and 1990. In 1988 Georgia produced their first national sevens side
.
The break-up of the Soviet Union led to a civil war, which helped set back the game greatly, and the recent Russian conflict with Georgia
has also set it on a back foot. Half of all Soviet clubs were in Georgia. The Georgians applied for associate membership of the IRB in 1990, but was turned down. It took two years for the IRB to admit them in 1990, after consultation with the Soviet Federation.
The following year, Georgia played their first international match, against Zimbabwe
, and won 16 to 3. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, Georgia formed their own national team (though a CIS
team played in the early 1990s) and applied for International Rugby Football Board
(now, International Rugby Board) membership. In 1993 the IFRB accepted Georgia as a federation member, making them the 52nd member.
In 1997, New Zealand coach Ross Meurant found the national team had only two practice balls, when he went to advise the Georgia Under-19 squad. This was typical of the lack of resources that the Georgians faced. Meurant said that the tackle bags that they were using were improvised:
The wife of another coach had stayed up half the night making them. This was not atypical. In the early 1990s, the Georgians had converted old Soviet era tractors into scrum machine
s.
In 1994 the Gumari were formed, being the Georgian Barbarians, and they went onto tour France. The following year saw the inauguration of the Sini competition. Their 1998 loss to Romania
saw Georgia face Tonga
in a repechage match
to enter the 1999 Rugby World Cup
in Wales
. Georgia lost and thus did not make it to the World Cup. Though in 2001 they won the European Nations Cup
, and became the 7th highest ranked team in Europe. They subsequently got through the qualifying stages for the next World Cup, and made it to Australia for the 2003 Rugby World Cup
. They also qualified for the 2007 World Cup and went on to win their first World Cup match.
Crowds as large as 10-15,000 regularly attend local derbies in Tbilisi
.
As Georgia is a member of the Council of Europe
, this gives Georgians employment rights within France
, and many Georgian players are now based there. For example in the qualifiers for the 2007 Rugby World Cup
against Ireland
, 18 of 25 players on the squad were based in France.
Notable players include Georgi Shkinin, and captain Ilia Zeguinidze who was considered something of a Renaissance Man
in World Cup rugby as a talented international lawyer with the ability to speak several languages fluently.
and Georgia Cup
are the domestic rugby union club competitions in Georgia. Since most of the Georgian internationals play in France
, its quality level does not match the popularity of rugby union across the country. This explains why Georgian clubs are still absent from the major team competitions in Europe, both the Heineken Cup
and the European Challenge Cup
.
. The popularity of rugby union largely took off after the Georgia Rugby Union's inception into the IRB
. This has seen rugby union become a major spectator sport. There are currently 2866 registered male players in Georgia according to the International Rugby Board. When Georgia played Russia
in the European Nations Cup
, 65,000 people crammed into the national stadium in Tbilisi
and another 44,000 watched Georgia beat Russia 17-13.
, an indigenous Georgian sport
with strong similarities to rugby
. Lelo has been adopted as the Georgian word for "try". One standard cheer of Georgian rugby union fans is Lelo, Lelo, Sakartvelo (Try, Try, Georgia). The Lelos participate in the European Nations Cup
, which is a second-level competition for European national teams. The majority of the national side are based in France
, in the lower divisions, having been sent there to improve their rugby skills and facilitate their development by coach Claude Saurel
.
Prior to the 2003 Rugby World Cup
, Georgia
had failed to qualify for any previous tournaments, despite coming close in 1999 after losing a two legged repechage
play-off against Tonga
. On that occasion Georgia lost the first leg 37-6 in Nukualofa
before recording a 28-27 win in Tbilisi
. Georgia then bounced back to defeat Russia
17-13 to qualify for the subsequent 2003 Rugby World Cup
. They lost all four of their matches but impressed against South Africa
. Despite the poor financial state of the Georgia Rugby Union
, qualification has seen the sport's profile enjoy a huge rise in popularity throughout Georgia.
is a second-level competition for tier-two European nations. Initially started as a one-year competition, the championship is now decided over two years with each team playing each other on a home and away basis. Georgia have won the competition on two occasions, in 2001 and 2008.
is contested between Georgia and Romania. The cup is contested each time Georgia and Romania meet in a senior international match other than World Cup matches or qualifiers. The holder retains the cup unless the challenger wins the match in normal time. It is named after the Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan Antim Iverianul, who came from Georgia.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
is a popular team sport played in Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
. Rugby union is considered the most popular sport in Georgia, after football.
Governing body
The governing body for rugby union in Georgia is the Georgia Rugby UnionGeorgia Rugby Union
The Georgian Rugby Union is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the nation of Georgia. Founded in 1964, it was part of the Rugby Union of the Soviet Union until 1991, with the Independent Georgian Rugby Union being established on May 27, 1991...
. It was founded in 1961 (as a domestic body) and became an official affiliate to the International Rugby Board
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
(IRB) in 1992.
Prehistory
Like some other rugby playing nations, the popularity of the game in Georgia can be traced back to a pre-existing Georgian folk sport, called leloLelo
Lelo is a Georgian language word which can mean either:* Lelo Burti, literally "field ball", a Georgian sport, somewhat similar to rugby.* A try in the game of rugby proper.* A type of Georgian wine...
or Lelo Burti
Lelo burti
Lelo or lelo burti is a Georgian folk sport, which is a full contact ball game, and very similar to rugby...
(meaning literally in Georgian
Georgian language
Georgian is the native language of the Georgians and the official language of Georgia, a country in the Caucasus.Georgian is the primary language of about 4 million people in Georgia itself, and of another 500,000 abroad...
"Field Ball"), which is a full contact ball game, and very similar to rugby. In fact, even within Georgian rugby terminology, the word lelo is used to mean a try.
Lelo 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, with the local priest acting as the referee. 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.
Soviet period
During the Soviet period, the Georgians regularly had six or seven players in the USSR sideSoviet Union national rugby union team
The USSR national rugby union team was a sporting side that represented the Soviet Union in rugby union until the early 1990s.-History:Although such tournaments as the Soviet Cup and the Soviet Championship existed, rugby never became a major sport in the USSR...
, before the break-up, as well as supplying the Soviet club champion, Dinamo Tbilisi
Dinamo Tbilisi
Dinamo Tbilisi is a sports club from Tbilisi, Georgia. It was founded in 1925.Among its highest honors, is the European trophy earned by its football team which won the Cup Winners' Cup in 1981, beating FC Carl Zeiss Jena of East Germany 2-1 in the final in Düsseldorf.In basketball, the club won...
. Rugby has been played in Georgia since the 1930s, possibly earlier, but its first official test was against a touring Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe national rugby union team
The Zimbabwe national rugby union team is the rugby union team representing Zimbabwe. They are considered to be a third tier rugby union nation...
side.
There were several unsuccessful attempts to introduce rugby 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
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
man from Marseilles in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan 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 very first rugby session was held on October 15, 1959 in Tbilisi
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
, at the racecourse, where 20 people attended the meeting. The first Georgian club formed was the GPI (Georgian Polytechnical Institute), now known as "Qochebi".
In 1961, a three team domestic competition was formed, called the Tbilisi Championship. The following year the first match between a Georgian team and a Russian team took place, with Trud Moscow defeating the Georgian club. That year Georgia clubs also went on their first tours, going to Russia and Latvia.
In 1962, the first Soviet Trade-Union tournament was held. In the same year, ten new rugby teams were established in Georgia.
In 1964 the Tbilisi Rugby Section became known as the Georgia Rugby Federation. From the mid 1960s, the Soviet Championship and the Soviet Cup
Soviet Cup
The Soviet Cup, or USSR Cup , was the premier football cup competition in the Soviet Union.-Finals:-Performance by club:-Performance by republic:-References:*, rsssf.com. Accessed on 16 May 2006....
were introduced for competitive club competition between Soviet rugby clubs, with the first competition being held in 1966. The Georgian clubs were formed as regional selections fed by student teams. The best players would go onto to make the USSR team.
A Moscow team won the first Soviet Championship, though Dymano from Tbilisi came in second place. In 1967 a French trade-union selection visited Georgia. It would not be until 1978, in the Soviet Cup (which was introduced in 1976) that a Georgian team would finish first, which was Locomotivi from Tbilisi. Georgian teams dominated the Soviet Championship and the Soviet Cup in the late 1980s with Kutaisi
RC AIA Kutaisi
-Honours:*USSR Championship:** Champions : 1987, 1988, 1989** Silver Medal winner: 1984** Bronze Medal winner: 1985*USSR Cup:** Winner : 1987, 1990,* Georgia Championship:...
winning the championship in 1987 and 1988 and RC AIA Kutaisi
RC AIA Kutaisi
-Honours:*USSR Championship:** Champions : 1987, 1988, 1989** Silver Medal winner: 1984** Bronze Medal winner: 1985*USSR Cup:** Winner : 1987, 1990,* Georgia Championship:...
winning in 1989 and 1990. In 1988 Georgia produced their first national sevens side
Georgia national rugby union team (sevens)
The Georgia national rugby union sevens is a minor national sevens side.-2007 London Sevens:-2007 Edinburgh Sevens:-External links:*...
.
Post-independence
2008 South Ossetia war
The 2008 South Ossetia War or Russo-Georgian War was an armed conflict in August 2008 between Georgia on one side, and Russia and separatist governments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on the other....
has also set it on a back foot. Half of all Soviet clubs were in Georgia. The Georgians applied for associate membership of the IRB in 1990, but was turned down. It took two years for the IRB to admit them in 1990, after consultation with the Soviet Federation.
The following year, Georgia played their first international match, against Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe national rugby union team
The Zimbabwe national rugby union team is the rugby union team representing Zimbabwe. They are considered to be a third tier rugby union nation...
, and won 16 to 3. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, Georgia formed their own national team (though a CIS
CIS (rugby)
CIS was a rugby union side that played matches during 1991 and 1992. The side consisted of members of the Commonwealth of Independent States. The team played four matches, losing all four fixtures...
team played in the early 1990s) and applied for International Rugby Football Board
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
(now, International Rugby Board) membership. In 1993 the IFRB accepted Georgia as a federation member, making them the 52nd member.
In 1997, New Zealand coach Ross Meurant found the national team had only two practice balls, when he went to advise the Georgia Under-19 squad. This was typical of the lack of resources that the Georgians faced. Meurant said that the tackle bags that they were using were improvised:
- "They were of denim material, obviously stitched together on a domestic sewing machine and stuffed with rubber."
The wife of another coach had stayed up half the night making them. This was not atypical. In the early 1990s, the Georgians had converted old Soviet era tractors into scrum machine
Scrum machine
A scrum machine, or scrummaging machine, is a padded, weighty device against which a pack of rugby football forwards can practice scrummaging, and rucking....
s.
In 1994 the Gumari were formed, being the Georgian Barbarians, and they went onto tour France. The following year saw the inauguration of the Sini competition. Their 1998 loss to Romania
Romania national rugby union team
The Romania national rugby union team , nicknamed The Oaks , is the representative side of Romania in rugby union. Long considered one of the stronger European teams outside the Six Nations, they have participated in all six Rugby World Cups, and currently compete in the first division of the...
saw Georgia face Tonga
Tonga national rugby union team
The Tonga national rugby union team is nicknamed Ikale Tahi . Like their Polynesian neighbours, the Tongans start their matches with a war dance – the Kailao . They are members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance along with Fiji and Samoa...
in a repechage match
Repechage
Repechage is a practice amongst ladder competitions that allows participants that failed to meet qualifying standards by a small margin to continue to the next round.- Types of repechage :...
to enter the 1999 Rugby World Cup
1999 Rugby World Cup
The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland...
in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Georgia lost and thus did not make it to the World Cup. Though in 2001 they won the European Nations Cup
European Nations Cup (rugby union)
The European Nations Cup is the European Championship for tier 2 and tier 3 rugby union nations. The Championship is split into 7 divisions with 5 or 6 teams in each. The divisions play on a two-year cycle with the teams playing each other both home and away...
, and became the 7th highest ranked team in Europe. They subsequently got through the qualifying stages for the next World Cup, and made it to Australia for the 2003 Rugby World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
. They also qualified for the 2007 World Cup and went on to win their first World Cup match.
Crowds as large as 10-15,000 regularly attend local derbies in Tbilisi
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
.
As Georgia is a member of the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
, this gives Georgians employment rights within France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and many Georgian players are now based there. For example in the qualifiers for the 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
against Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
, 18 of 25 players on the squad were based in France.
Notable players include Georgi Shkinin, and captain Ilia Zeguinidze who was considered something of a Renaissance Man
Polymath
A polymath is a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas. In less formal terms, a polymath may simply be someone who is very knowledgeable...
in World Cup rugby as a talented international lawyer with the ability to speak several languages fluently.
Competitions
The Georgia ChampionshipGeorgia Championship
The Georgia Championship is a domestic rugby union club competition in Georgia. It includes three leagues.-List of Champions:TOP LEAGUE Teams [Season 2011]:* * RC Army Tbilisi* RC Locomotive Tbilisi* * * RC Academia Tbilisi...
and Georgia Cup
Georgia Cup
The Georgia Cup is the main "knockout" cup competition in Georgian rugby.-List of Champions:...
are the domestic rugby union club competitions in Georgia. Since most of the Georgian internationals play in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, its quality level does not match the popularity of rugby union across the country. This explains why Georgian clubs are still absent from the major team competitions in Europe, both the Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
and the European Challenge Cup
European Challenge Cup
The European Challenge Cup, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Amlin Challenge Cup, is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup. The cup was known as the Parker Pen Shield from 2001 to 2003 and Parker Pen Challenge Cup from 2003 to 2005. The European...
.
Popularity
Rugby union is one of the most popular sports in Georgia. Rugby is especially popular in the south of the country where the game is more popular than football (soccer)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...
. The popularity of rugby union largely took off after the Georgia Rugby Union's inception into the IRB
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
. This has seen rugby union become a major spectator sport. There are currently 2866 registered male players in Georgia according to the International Rugby Board. When Georgia played Russia
Russia national rugby union team
The Russian National Rugby Union Team, is the national team representing Russia at the sport of rugby union.Rugby union in Russia is administered by the Rugby Union of Russia . The RUR is the official successor union of the Soviet Union and the combined CIS team which played in the early 1990s...
in the European Nations Cup
European Nations Cup (rugby union)
The European Nations Cup is the European Championship for tier 2 and tier 3 rugby union nations. The Championship is split into 7 divisions with 5 or 6 teams in each. The divisions play on a two-year cycle with the teams playing each other both home and away...
, 65,000 people crammed into the national stadium in Tbilisi
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
and another 44,000 watched Georgia beat Russia 17-13.
National team
The Lelos (as they are nicknamed) are the national rugby union team of Georgia. The team's name comes from leloLelo burti
Lelo or lelo burti is a Georgian folk sport, which is a full contact ball game, and very similar to rugby...
, an indigenous Georgian sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
with strong similarities to rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
. Lelo has been adopted as the Georgian word for "try". One standard cheer of Georgian rugby union fans is Lelo, Lelo, Sakartvelo (Try, Try, Georgia). The Lelos participate in the European Nations Cup
European Nations Cup (rugby union)
The European Nations Cup is the European Championship for tier 2 and tier 3 rugby union nations. The Championship is split into 7 divisions with 5 or 6 teams in each. The divisions play on a two-year cycle with the teams playing each other both home and away...
, which is a second-level competition for European national teams. The majority of the national side are based in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, in the lower divisions, having been sent there to improve their rugby skills and facilitate their development by coach Claude Saurel
Claude Saurel
Claude Saurel is a former French rugby union footballer and current coach. He is the current head coach of the Russia national rugby team....
.
World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
, Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
had failed to qualify for any previous tournaments, despite coming close in 1999 after losing a two legged repechage
Repechage
Repechage is a practice amongst ladder competitions that allows participants that failed to meet qualifying standards by a small margin to continue to the next round.- Types of repechage :...
play-off against Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
. On that occasion Georgia lost the first leg 37-6 in Nukualofa
Nukuʻalofa
Nukualofa is the capital of the Kingdom of Tonga. It is located on the north coast of the island of Tongatapu, in the southern most island group of Tonga.-Mythological origins:...
before recording a 28-27 win in Tbilisi
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
. Georgia then bounced back to defeat Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
17-13 to qualify for the subsequent 2003 Rugby World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
. They lost all four of their matches but impressed against South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Despite the poor financial state of the Georgia Rugby Union
Georgia Rugby Union
The Georgian Rugby Union is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the nation of Georgia. Founded in 1964, it was part of the Rugby Union of the Soviet Union until 1991, with the Independent Georgian Rugby Union being established on May 27, 1991...
, qualification has seen the sport's profile enjoy a huge rise in popularity throughout Georgia.
European Nations Cup
The European Nations CupEuropean Nations Cup (rugby union)
The European Nations Cup is the European Championship for tier 2 and tier 3 rugby union nations. The Championship is split into 7 divisions with 5 or 6 teams in each. The divisions play on a two-year cycle with the teams playing each other both home and away...
is a second-level competition for tier-two European nations. Initially started as a one-year competition, the championship is now decided over two years with each team playing each other on a home and away basis. Georgia have won the competition on two occasions, in 2001 and 2008.
The Antim Cup
The Antim CupAntim Cup
The Antim Cup is contested between the rugby union teams of Romania and Georgia . It is named after the Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan Anthim the Iberian, who came from Georgia....
is contested between Georgia and Romania. The cup is contested each time Georgia and Romania meet in a senior international match other than World Cup matches or qualifiers. The holder retains the cup unless the challenger wins the match in normal time. It is named after the Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan Antim Iverianul, who came from Georgia.
See also
- Georgia Rugby UnionGeorgia Rugby UnionThe Georgian Rugby Union is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the nation of Georgia. Founded in 1964, it was part of the Rugby Union of the Soviet Union until 1991, with the Independent Georgian Rugby Union being established on May 27, 1991...
- Georgia national rugby union teamGeorgia national rugby union teamThe Georgia national rugby union team represents Georgia in rugby union. The team's nickname, The Lelos, comes from lelo burti, a traditional Georgian sport with strong similarities to rugby. Lelo has been adopted as the Georgian word for "try"...
- Georgia at the Rugby World CupGeorgia at the Rugby World CupGeorgia has competed in two Rugby World Cup tournaments. Their first appearance was in 2003 when they were placed in Pool C with eventual winners England, South Africa, Uruguay and Samoa...
- Rugby league in GeorgiaRugby league in GeorgiaRugby league is a team sport, originating in England, formerly played in Georgia.-History:The history of rugby league in Georgia began in 1991 when a Georgian player was recruited by a Russian rugby league club. In 1993 a rural Georgian rugby union club team defected to the Russian Rugby League...