 Gigashvili in 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1992-02-17)17 February 1992 (age 33) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 118 kg (18 st 8 lb; 260 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Beka Gigashvili (Georgian:ბექა გიგაშვილი; born 17 February 1992) is aGeorgianrugby union player. His position isprop, and he currently plays forRC Toulonnais in theTop 14 and theGeorgia national team.[1][2]
Gigashvilli was a latecomer to the sport, tellingMidi Olympique that he had not seen a rugby match until he was 20 years old. Returning from the army, he was persuaded by a friend to join a training session- six months later, he signed forSpartak GM Moscow in Russia.[3]
In France, Gigashvili helpedSO Chambéry win the Jean Prat Trophy at the conclusion of 2016–17Fédérale 1 season. His former coach,Cyril Villain, described Gigashvili as "versatile", "hard-working", and possessing "very good scrummaging" skills. He signed withGrenoble in 2017.[4]
Following the2019 Rugby World Cup, Gigashvili signed withToulon, a move he described as being influenced by previous successful spells at the club for compatriots includingMamuka Gorgodze,Levan Chilachava andKonstantin Mikautadze. He made his debut in a 20-13 win againstBayonne in the2019-20 European Rugby Challenge Cup in November 2019.[5] He made a strong impression in his first season, bringing stability to the Toulon scrum and winning praise as a powerful carrier, including for his first try forles rouges et noir in a 41-19 win overClermont.[6] Gigashvili suffered a hamstring injury representingGeorgia againstFiji in theAutumn Nations Cup, having started in all their previous games in the competition againstEngland,Wales andIreland.[7] In February 2021, he renewed his contract with RCT until 2024.[8] At the end of the 2021/22 season, he representedthe Barbarians for the first time, starting in a 52-21 win overEngland atTwickenham Stadium and did the same as Georgia defeatedItaly 28-19 inBatumi, his nation's first win over aSix Nations side.[9][10]
Gigashvili began the2022-23 Top 14 season in good try scoring form, crossing the line in victories againstClermont,Pau andStade Français.[11][12][13] He was rated as the regular season's best tighthead prop byMidi Olympique, describing him as a 'nightmare' for opponents in the scrum.[14] Gigashvili scored a try and was man-of-the-match as Toulon defeatedBenetton Rugby 23-0 to reach the final of the2022-23 EPCR Challenge Cup, before starting in the final as part of a 43-19 win overGlasgow Warriors at theAviva Stadium.[15][16]
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| Prop(s) | |
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| Back row(s) | |
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| Fly half(s) | |
| Centre(s) | |
| Winger(s) | |
| Fullback(s) | |
| Coach | |
