 | |||
| Nicknames | Borjgalosnebi Lelos | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Emblem | Borjgali | ||
| Union | Georgian Rugby Union | ||
| Mostcaps | Davit Kacharava Sandro Todua (122) | ||
| Top scorer | Merab Kvirikashvili (838) | ||
| Top try scorer | Aka Tabutsadze (50) | ||
| Home stadium | Various | ||
| |||
| World Rugby ranking | |||
| Current | 11 (as of 10 February 2025) | ||
| Highest | 11 (2016, 2019, 2023, 2025) | ||
| Lowest | 23 (2004) | ||
| First international | |||
 Georgia 16–3Zimbabwe  (Kutaisi, Georgia; 12 September 1989) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
 Georgia 110–0Switzerland  (Tbilisi, Georgia; 1 February 2025) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 England 84–6Georgia  (Perth, Australia; 12 October 2003) | |||
| World Cup | |||
| Appearances | 7 (first in2003) | ||
| Best result | Pool stage (2003,2007,2011,2015,2019 and2023) | ||
| Website | rugby.ge/nationalteam | ||
TheGeorgia national rugby union team,[1] nicknamedThe Lelos,[2] representsGeorgia in men's international competitions, They are administered by theGeorgian Rugby Union.
The team takes part in the annualRugby Europe Championship, from 2026 the biennialWorld Rugby Nations Cup and theRugby World Cup which takes place every four years and in which it has appeared continuously since 2003.
Georgia is currently considered one of the strongest second-tier rugby union nations. It is one of the world's fastest-growing rugby nations.[citation needed] The Lelos participate in the Rugby Europe Championship, winning the tournament in2001 and every year since2006–08, with the exception of2017. 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 inGeorgia, with many similarities to the ancient Georgian folk-sport ofLelo burti, from which the national team derives its nickname. The national team qualified for theRugby World Cup six times, first in2003 – playing against rugby powers such asEngland andSouth Africa. The Lelos won their first ever World Cup match in2007, when they beatNamibia 30–0. Since 2013, Georgia has hosted theWorld Rugby Tbilisi Cup.
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 byJacques Haspekian, anArmenian man fromMarseille inFrance 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 inTbilisi, 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. TheGeorgia 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 theUSSR 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 byZimbabwe. Zimbabwe's first match on the tour was in the wet against Georgia inKutaisi, west ofTbilisi, which Georgia won 16–3. The next year Georgia went toZimbabwe where they played two tests, losing the first inBulawayo and winning the second 26–10 inHarare.
On 9 April 1991 Georgiadeclared 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 againstUkraine until they gained membership of theWorld 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 theGeorgia national rugby sevens team, until he was appointed as the national coach in the summer of 1999.
Georgia's 1998 loss toRomania saw them play a two legged repechageplay-off againstTonga to qualify for the1999 World Cup. On that occasion Georgia lost the first leg 37–6 inNukuʻalofa before a 28–27 win in Tbilisi. This was not enough and Georgia failed to qualify.
After France and Italy dropped from the rebornEuropean Nations Cup, Georgia became a major force in the tournament. In 2000, Georgia finished second in the competition, finishing behindRomania.Rugby union took off in the country, the travel and opportunities to land lucrative contracts inFrance 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 inTbilisi.
Georgian first made an impact atRugby Sevens by finishing a respectable 10th in the2001 edition of theRugby 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 the2003 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[3] spectators turned out to thenational 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.[4] 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 inAsti the Georgians lost to Italians 31–22.
In the2003 Rugby World Cup, Georgia were grouped into pool C alongside giants –South Africa andEngland. 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 byUruguay 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 the2007 Rugby World Cup Georgia were drawn againstArgentina,Ireland,Namibia and tournament hostsFrance inPool 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.
.jpg)
At2011 Rugby World Cup, Georgia'sPool B included England,Argentina andScotland, as well as local rivalsRomania. 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 flankerMamuka 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 the2015 Rugby World Cup Georgia played againstTonga, Argentina, title holdersNew Zealand and the top African qualifier Namibia inPool 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 inCardiff. 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 for2019 Rugby World Cup at the same time.
_01.jpg)
In 2016, Georgia once again cemented its claim to be the seventh best national rugby team in Europe, when they won theEuropean Nations Cup for the sixth consecutive time, with 10 wins from 10 matches. In the2016 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.
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 23 September, 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.
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 1 February, 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 theAutumn 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.
During the 2023 Rugby World Cup Georgia dramatically underperformed to what was expected. Playing in a pool lacking one of the four tournament favourites, but notable for strength in depth, Georgia aiming to cause an upset against one of the three tier one sides and guarantee automatic qualification for 2027, but last in their pool having not won a game, despite some relatively strong showings.
They got off to a rocky start with a 35–15 loss to Australia on 9 September; though not expected to win they were thought they might put up a better fight. Next, more concerningly, on 23 September they drew with the only other Tier two team in the pool, Portugal by a score of 18–18 in a match they were expected to win; 7 days later they put up a strong fight against Fiji but were eventually defeated 17–12 before finishing on 7 October getting well beaten by Wales 43–19. A shock victory for Portugal against Fiji condemned Georgia to fifth place in the pool, although the extension of the 2027 World Cup to 24 teams announced shortly afterwards relieved some of the concerns for future qualification. Georgia returned to form, however, in the following Rugby Europe Internationally championship, once more winning the second-tier competition convincingly.
Traditionally, Georgia started 2024 with won2024 Rugby Europe Championship.
After a win toNetherlands in the2025 Rugby Europe Championship, Georgia qualified for the2027 Men's Rugby World Cup.[5]
Lelo orlelo burti (Georgian:ლელო ბურთი), literally a "field ball [playing]", is aGeorgian folk sport, which is a full contact ball game, and very similar torugby, itself a public school codification of older folk football games.[6] Within Georgianrugby union terminology, the wordlelo is used to mean atry, and the popularity ofrugby union in Georgia has also been attributed to it.[7] In 2014, lelo burti, along withkhridoli, a traditional martial art, was inscribed by the government of Georgia as a "nonmaterial monument" of culture.[8]
It appears in the 12th century Georgian epic poemThe Knight in the Panther's Skin in which the characters play lelo burti.
       RWC 2003 |  RWC 2007 |    RWC 2011 |     RWC 2015 |     2017–18 |    RWC 2019 |  2020–21 |  2022–23 |
 RWC 2003 |  RWC 2007 |  RWC 2011 |     RWC 2015 |     2017–18 |     RWC 2019 | 2020–21 | 2022–23 |
| 10 July 2022 | Georgia | 28–19 |  Italy | Batumi Stadium,Batumi | |
| 20:00GET (UTC+4) | Try:Todua 11' m Abzhandadze (2) 13' c, 36' c Con:Abzhandadze (2/3) 14', 37' Pen:Abzhandadze (2/3) 55', 78' Aprasidze (1/1) 71' | Try:Menoncello 20' c Con:Allan (1/1) 21' Pen:Allan (4/5) 27', 33', 51', 72' | Attendance: ~20,000 Referee:Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand) |
| 19 November 2022 | Wales  | 12–13 | Georgia | Millennium Stadium,Cardiff | |
| 13:00GMT (UTC+0) | Try:Morgan (2) 20' c, 24' m Con:Priestland (1/2) 21' | Report | Try:Todua 59' c Con:Abzhandadze (1/1) 60' Pen:Abzhandadze (1/2) 2' Matkava (1/1) 78' | Attendance: 63,585 Referee:Andrea Piardi (Italy) |
| 13 July 2024 | Japan  | 23–25 | Georgia | Yurtec Stadium Sendai,Sendai | |
| 19:05JST (UTC+09) | Try:Naikabula 3' c Osada 64' c Con:Lee (2/2) 4', 65' Pen:Lee (3/3) 17', 25', 56' | Report | Try:Karkadze 20' m Alania 28' c Javakhia 74' c Con:Matkava (2/3) 29', 75' Pen:Matkava (2/2) 9', 12' | Attendance: 15,903 Referee:Andrea Piardi (Italy) |
| Rank | Change[i] | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |  South Africa | 93.06 |
| 2 | |  New Zealand | 90.33 |
| 3 |  1 | England | 89.09 |
| 4 |  1 |  Ireland | 88.85 |
| 5 | |  France | 87.07 |
| 6 | |  Argentina | 85.30 |
| 7 | |  Australia | 81.69 |
| 8 | 1 |  Fiji | 81.03 |
| 9 | 1 |  Scotland | 80.22 |
| 10 | | Italy | 78.98 |
| 11 | | Georgia | 74.69 |
| 12 | | Wales | 74.23 |
| 13 | | Japan | 72.58 |
| 14 | |  Spain | 69.12 |
| 15 | |  Uruguay | 68.52 |
| 16 | |  United States | 68.26 |
| 17 | |  Samoa | 66.94 |
| 18 | |  Chile | 66.72 |
| 19 | |  Tonga | 66.66 |
| 20 | |  Portugal | 64.89 |
| 21 | |  Romania | 62.16 |
| 22 | |  Belgium | 61.81 |
| 23 | |  Hong Kong | 59.61 |
| 24 | |  Canada | 58.85 |
| 25 | | Zimbabwe | 58.80 |
| 26 | |  Netherlands | 57.01 |
| 27 | |  Namibia | 56.39 |
| 28 | | Switzerland | 55.26 |
| 29 | |  Poland | 54.36 |
| 30 | 1 |  Czech Republic | 53.39 |
| Georgia's historical rankings |
Georgia has won 179 of their 289 representative matches, a winning record of 62%. SinceWorld Rankings were introduced byWorld Rugby in September 2003, Georgia have occupied below number ten the majority of the time. Georgia have consistently ranked as the seventh European nation in men's rugby, immediately below the Six Nations, for two decades.
Below is a table of the representative rugby matches played by a Georgia national XV at test level up until22 November 2025, updated after match with Japan.[10]
| Opponent | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Aga |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 66 | 186 |
| Argentina XV | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 78 | 91 |
| Australia | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 52 | 102 |
| Barbarians | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 28 |
 Basque Country | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 8 |
| Belgium | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 254 | 31 |
 Bulgaria | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 70 | 8 |
| Canada | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 183 | 158 |
| Chile | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 53 | 36 |
 Croatia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 15 |
| Czech Republic | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 310 | 58 |
 Denmark | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 8 |
| England | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 165 |
| Fiji | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 121 | 200 |
| France | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 22 | 105 |
| French Barbarians | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 15 |
| French Universities | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 20 |
 Germany | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 521 | 64 |
| Ireland | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 46 | 253 |
| Emerging Ireland | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 32 | 105 |
| Italy | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 91 | 149 |
| Italy A | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 115 | 162 |
| Japan | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 144 | 198 |
 Kazakhstan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 5 |
 Latvia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 3 |
 Luxembourg | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 10 |
 Moldova | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 5 |
 Morocco | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 10 |
| Namibia | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 112 | 73 |
| Netherlands | 9 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 395 | 114 |
| New Zealand | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 43 |
| All Blacks XV | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 31 |
| Poland | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 29 | 52 |
| Portugal | 27 | 19 | 4 | 4 | 677 | 372 |
| Romania | 30 | 20 | 1 | 9 | 703 | 457 |
 Russia | 26 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 621 | 273 |
| Samoa | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 110 | 135 |
| Scotland | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 54 | 219 |
| Scotland A | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 90 |
| South Africa | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 38 | 141 |
| South Africa A | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 84 | 108 |
| Spain | 27 | 23 | 1 | 3 | 898 | 400 |
| Switzerland | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 132 | 21 |
| Tonga | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 141 | 148 |
 Ukraine | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 281 | 63 |
| United States | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 182 | 183 |
| Uruguay | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 152 | 97 |
| Wales | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 52 | 129 |
| Zimbabwe | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 58 | 35 |
| Total | 292 | 181 | 10 | 101 | 7,170 | 5,374 |
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 atStade 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.
| Rugby World Cuprecord | Qualification | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | Squad | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | ||
| 1987 | Part of the Soviet Union: Not an independent country | — | |||||||||||||||
| 1991 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1995 | Did not qualify | 3rd | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 38 | |||||||||
| 1999 | P/O | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 131 | 221 | ||||||||||
| 2003 | Pool Stage | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 46 | 200 | Squad | 2nd | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 31 | 76 | ||
| 2007 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 50 | 111 | Squad | P/O | 14 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 426 | 182 | |||
| 2011 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 48 | 90 | Squad | 1st | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 326 | 132 | |||
| 2015 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 53 | 123 | Squad | 1st | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 286 | 106 | |||
| 2019 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 65 | 122 | Squad | Automatically qualified | |||||||||
| 2023 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 64 | 113 | Squad | 1st | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 325 | 146 | |||
| 2027 | Qualified | 1st | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 301 | 72 | |||||||||
| 2031 | To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||||
| Total | — | 24 | 5 | 1 | 18 | 326 | 759 | — | — | 61 | 46 | 4 | 11 | 1841 | 973 | ||
| |||||||||||||||||
Georgia will compete in the2026 World Rugby Nations Cup, an international tournament organised byWorld Rugby. The 2026 edition will feature four teams in a round-robin format.
Results correct up until 2025 22 November
| Season | G | W | D | L | PF | PA | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Season | G | W | D | L | PF | PA | Pts | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIRA 1992–94 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 60 | 34 | 8 | 1st |
| 1995 Rugby World Cup qualification | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 38 | 2 | 3nd |
| FIRA 1995–96 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 40 | 61 | 10 | 2nd |
| FIRA 1996–97 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 87 | 84 | 6 | 4nd |
| 1999 Rugby World Cup qualification | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 74 | 60 | 10 | 2nd |
| 1999 RWC qualification playoff | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 34 | 64 | — | DNQ |
Georgia compete annually in theRugby Europe Championship (previously named European Nations Cup). They have won the tournament 17 times in2001,2008,2009,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2018,2019,2020,2021,2022,2023,2024 and2025.Since 2017 they have won seven consecutive titles and are unbeaten, with a single draw the only mark on the ir record in that time.
Results correct up until 2 March 2025
| Season | G | W | D | L | PF | PA | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 145 | 105 | 2nd |
| 2001 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 167 | 68 | 1st |
| 2002 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 184 | 84 | 2nd |
| 2003–04 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 193 | 148 | 3rd |
| 2005–06 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 353 | 125 | 2nd |
| 2007–08 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 292 | 114 | 1st |
| 2009–2010 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 328 | 130 | 1st |
| 2011–2012 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 316 | 83 | 1st |
| 2013–2014 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 286 | 106 | 1st |
| 2015–2016 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 346 | 75 | 1st |
| 2017 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 136 | 44 | 2nd |
| 2018 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 188 | 35 | 1st |
| 2019 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 162 | 34 | 1st |
| 2020 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 197 | 60 | 1st |
| 2021 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 153 | 73 | 1st |
| 2022 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 172 | 73 | 1st |
| 2023 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 225 | 41 | 1st |
| 2024 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 176 | 82 | 1st |
| 2025 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 301 | 72 | 1st |
| 2026 | |||||||
| Total | 130 | 112 | 5 | 13 | 4080 | 1463 | – |
TheAntim 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 adraw. It is named after the Romanian Orthodox MetropolitanAnthim the Iberian, who came from Georgia.
On 31 October, Georgia named a 35-player squad ahead of theirNovember tests against theUnited States,Canada andJapan.
Head Coach:Richard Cockerill
| Player | Position | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Club/province |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vano Karkadze | Hooker | (2000-06-25)25 June 2000 (age 25) | 26 | Oyonnax |
| Irakli Kvatadze | Hooker | (1997-03-08)8 March 1997 (age 28) | 9 | Black Lion |
| Shalva Mamukashvili | Hooker | (1990-10-02)2 October 1990 (age 35) | 101 | Black Lion |
| Nika Sutidze | Hooker | (2003-09-01)1 September 2003 (age 22) | 0 | La Rochelle |
| Davit Abdushelishvili | Prop | (2001-02-25)25 February 2001 (age 24) | 2 | Black Lion |
| Nika Abuladze | Prop | (1995-08-20)20 August 1995 (age 30) | 20 | Montpellier |
| Giorgi Akhaladze | Prop | (1999-04-13)13 April 1999 (age 26) | 14 | ASM Clermont |
| Irakli Aptsiauri | Prop | (2003-02-23)23 February 2003 (age 22) | 49 | Lyon |
| Kakhaber Darbaidze | Prop | (2000-05-20)20 May 2000 (age 25) | 0 | Black Lion |
| Beka Gigashvili | Prop | (1992-02-17)17 February 1992 (age 33) | 46 | Toulon |
| Giorgi Mamaiashvili | Prop | (2003-02-26)26 February 2003 (age 22) | 5 | Grenoble |
| Luka Japaridze | Prop | (1998-09-06)6 September 1998 (age 27) | 14 | Montpellier |
| Giorgi Tetrashvili | Prop | (1993-08-31)31 August 1993 (age 32) | 15 | Perpignan |
| Mikheil Babunashvili | Lock | (1996-05-31)31 May 1996 (age 29) | 21 | Black Lion |
| Lado Chachanidze | Lock | (2000-05-14)14 May 2000 (age 25) | 29 | Stade Montois |
| Demur Epremidze | Lock | (1996-10-18)18 October 1996 (age 29) | 2 | Black Lion |
| Giorgi Javakhia | Lock | (1996-09-24)24 September 1996 (age 29) | 22 | Toulon |
| Temur Tsulukidze | Lock | (2005-06-22)22 June 2005 (age 20) | 0 | Oyonnax Espoirs |
| Luka Ivanishvili | Back row | (2001-11-25)25 November 2001 (age 24) | 24 | Bristol Bears |
| Beka Gorgadze | Back row | (1998-02-08)8 February 1998 (age 27) | 51 | Pau |
| Tornike Jalagonia | Back row | (1998-12-12)12 December 1998 (age 26) | 33 | Provence |
| Sandro Mamamtavrishvili | Back row | (1998-10-17)17 October 1998 (age 27) | 6 | Black Lion |
| Beka Saghinadze | Back row | (1998-10-29)29 October 1998 (age 27) | 50 | Lyon |
| Giorgi Sinauridze | Back row | (2001-06-15)15 June 2001 (age 24) | 0 | Black Lion |
| Ilia Spanderashvili | Back row | (1997-09-10)10 September 1997 (age 28) | 17 | Valence Romans |
| Gela Aprasidze | Scrum-half | (1998-01-14)14 January 1998 (age 27) | 62 | Perpignan |
| Vasil Lobzhanidze | Scrum-half | (1996-10-14)14 October 1996 (age 29) | 95 | Oyonnax |
| Tengiz Peranidze | Scrum-half | (1998-04-06)6 April 1998 (age 27) | 4 | Black Lion |
| Tedo Abzhandadze | Fly-half | (1999-06-13)13 June 1999 (age 26) | 56 | Aurillac |
| Luka Matkava | Fly-half | (2001-10-05)5 October 2001 (age 24) | 30 | Oyonnax |
| Tornike Kakhoidze | Centre | (2003-08-16)16 August 2003 (age 22) | 16 | Black Lion |
| Giorgi Kveseladze | Centre | (1997-11-11)11 November 1997 (age 28) | 70 | Grenoble |
| Zaur Lutidze | Centre | (2001-01-28)28 January 2001 (age 24) | 0 | Black Lion |
| Georges Shvelidze | Centre | (2003-10-26)26 October 2003 (age 22) | 5 | Brive |
| Demur Tapladze | Centre | (2000-03-18)18 March 2000 (age 25) | 44 | Black Lion |
| Shalva Aptsiauri | Wing | (2003-02-28)28 February 2003 (age 22) | 3 | Black Lion |
| Aka Tabutsadze | Wing | (1997-08-19)19 August 1997 (age 28) | 52 | Black Lion |
| Alexander Todua | Wing | (1987-11-02)2 November 1987 (age 38) | 119 | Black Lion |
| Davit Niniashvili | Fullback | (2002-07-14)14 July 2002 (age 23) | 41 | La Rochelle |
| Luka Tsirekidze | Fullback | (2004-08-25)25 August 2004 (age 21) | 3 | Black Lion |
Mamuka Gorgodze – Switched to rugby from basketball aged 17. His first club wasLelo in theGeorgian Top League, he was soon selected for the Georgia national team and made his debut in 2003 againstSpain, 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 the2003 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 the2007 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 asflanker during this season, and halfway through the season French newspaperL'Équipe commented that he improved his technique and became a mobile and unstoppable player. Gorgodze played a big role in Montpellier finishing the2010–11 Top 14 season as runners up.[11] 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 the2011 Rugby World Cup and played all the Georgia matches, being named man of the match in two matches, againstEngland andRomania.[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 aNumber 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 againstScotland A and taking part in the2009 European Nations Cup, where he scored a game-saving try againstPortugal on 14 February 2009.[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 overCroatia, inTbilisi, 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 the2003 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 the2007 Rugby World Cup, playing in all the four matches and scoring one conversion. He continued to be a valuable player in the2011 Rugby World Cup qualification, the third Georgia gained in a row.[citation needed]
The following Georgia players have been recognised at theWorld Rugby Awards since 2001:[12]
| Year | Nominees | Winners |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Vasil Lobzhanidze | — |
The current coaching staff of the Georgian national team:[13]
| Name | Nationality | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Vasil Abashidze | GEO | Manager |
| Lekso Iordanishvili | GEO | Manager |
| Richard Cockerill | ENG | Head coach |
| Conor McPhillips |  IRE | Attack coach |
| Julian Salvi | AUS | Defence coach |
| Dan Baugh | CAN | Strength & conditioning coach |
| Davit Nemsadze | GEO | Strength & conditioning coach |
| Dr. Nutsa Shamatava | GEO | Team doctor |
| Abesalom Abramishvili | GEO | Physiotherapist |
| Edward Barry | ENG | Physiotherapist |
| William Lavis | ENG | Rehabilitation specialist |
| Nika Pinaishvili | GEO | GPS-analyst |
| Davit Ramishvili | GEO | Video-analyst |
| # | Player | Pos | Span | Mat | Start | Sub | Won | Lost | Draw | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Davit Kacharava | Centre | 2006–2020 | 122 | 104 | 18 | 79 | 40 | 3 | 65.98 |
| 2 | Alexander Todua | Wing | 2008– | 121 | 108 | 13 | 76 | 42 | 3 | 61.82 |
| 3 | Merab Kvirikashvili | Fullback | 2003–2018 | 115 | 94 | 21 | 72 | 40 | 3 | 63.91 |
| 4 | Shalva Mamukashvili | Hooker | 2011–2023 | 103 | 64 | 39 | 65 | 35 | 3 | 64.45 |
| Merab Sharikadze | Centre | 2012–2024 | 103 | 101 | 2 | 65 | 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 | Vasil Lobzhanidze | Scrum-half | 2015- | 98 | 83 | 15 | 60 | 35 | 3 | 61.22 |
| 9 | Lasha Khmaladze | Centre | 2008–2023 | 97 | 73 | 24 | 63 | 30 | 3 | 66.66 |
| 10 | Giorgi Nemsadze | Lock | 2005–2019 | 95 | 71 | 24 | 62 | 32 | 1 | 65.78 |
| # | Player | Pos | Span | Mat | Start | Sub | Pts | Tries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aka Tabutsadze | Wing | 2020– | 55 | 55 | 0 | 250 | 50 |
| 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 | Alexander Todua | Wing | 2008– | 121 | 108 | 13 | 100 | 20 |
| 7 | Vasil Lobzhanidze | Scrum-half | 2015- | 98 | 83 | 15 | 98 | 19 |
| Merab Sharikadze | Centre | 2012–2024 | 103 | 101 | 2 | 95 | 19 | |
| 9 | Merab Kvirikashvili | Fullback | 2003–2018 | 115 | 94 | 21 | 840 | 17 |
| Malkhaz Urjukashvili | Wing | 1997–2011 | 70 | 66 | 4 | 320 | 17 |
| # | 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– | 58 | 368 | 6 | 88 | 54 | 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 | Aka Tabutsadze | Wing | 2020– | 55 | 250 | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Luka Matkava | Fly-half | 2022– | 31 | 195 | 3 | 57 | 22 | 0 |
| 7 | Lasha Malaghuradze | Fly-half | 2008–2023 | 100 | 190 | 6 | 38 | 25 | 3 |
| 8 | Soso Matiashvili | Full-back | 2017–2021 | 32 | 159 | 8 | 25 | 23 | 0 |
| 9 | Mamuka Gorgodze | Lock | 2003–2019 | 75 | 135 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Davit Kacharava | Centre | 2006–2020 | 122 | 125 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| # | Player | Pos | Span | Mat | Won | Lost | Draw | % | Pts | Tries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Merab Sharikadze | Centre | 2014–2024 | 52 | 32 | 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 |
| # | Player | Pos | Pts | Tries | Conv | Pens | Drop | Opposition | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soso Matiashvili | Full Back | 34 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 0 | Canada | Tbilisi | 2017-10-11 |
| 2 | Merab Kvirikashvili | Full Back | 32 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 0 | Germany | Tbilisi | 2010-02-06 |
| 3 | Luka Matkava | Fly-half | 25 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 | Germany | Tbilisi | 2023-02-05 |
| 4 | Merab Kvirikashvili | Full Back | 24 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0 | Portugal | Lisbon | 2014-02-08 |
| 5 | Paliko Jimsheladze | Fly-half | 23 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | Russia | Krasnodar | 2003-03-09 |
| Merab Kvirikashvili | Fly-half | 23 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | Czech Republic | Tbilisi | 2007-04-07 | |
| 7 | Merab Kvirikashvili | Fly-half | 22 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | Japan | Tbilisi | 2012-11-17 |
| 8 | Luka Matkava | Fly-half | 21 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | Switzerland | Tbilisi | 2025-02-01 |
| 9 | Malkhaz Urjukashvili | Fly-half | 20 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 0 | Czech Republic | Kutaisi | 2005-06-12 |
| Lasha Malaghuradze | Fly-half | 20 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | Spain | Madrid | 2009-02-28 | |
| Aka Tabutsadze | Wing | 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Belgium | Kutaisi | 2020-02-22 | |
| Tedo Abzhandadze | Fly-half | 20 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | Italy | Batumi | 2022-07-10 |
| Years | Coach |
|---|---|
| 1989–1990 | David Kilasonia |
| 1991–1993 | Temur Bendiashvili |
| 1994–1996 | Guram Modebadze |
| 1997 | Ross Meurant |
| 1997–2003 | Claude Saurel |
| 2004–2007 | Malkhaz Cheishvili |
| 2008–2009 | Tim Lane |
| 2010–2011 | Richie Dixon |
| 2012–2019 | Milton Haig |
| 2020 | Levan Maisashvili(Interim) |
| 2021–2023 | Levan Maisashvili |
| 2024–present | Richard Cockerill |
