| Full name | Alexander Todua | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 2 November 1987 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Tbilisi, Georgia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 92 kg (14 st 7 lb; 203 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sandro Todua (born 2 November 1987 in Tbilisi, Georgia) is a Georgian rugby union player. He plays as a winger for the Rugby Europe Super Cup side Black Lion and for Didi 10 side RC Batumi. [1] [2] [3] [4]
Todua began his career at Lelo Saracens in his home town Tbilisi, after coming second in the league in 2007 and 2008, they won the Didi 10 in the 2008–09 season, beating Batumi in the final. [5]
In 2012 Todua moved to France to play for SC Albi in the Pro D2, he spent 2 seasons at the club making 36 appearances scoring 3 tries.
He returned to Lelo Saracens in 2014, at his second stint at the club he won the Didi 10 back to back in the 2014–15 and 2015–16. He was selected to be part of the Tbilisi Caucasians team for the 2014 European Rugby Challenge Cup Qualifying Competition, playing in both matches against Rugby Rovigo Delta. [6] [7]
He joined Batumi in 2018, winning the Didi 10 that year.
He joined Black Lion for the inaugural Rugby Europe Super Cup, startining in their first ever match a 33–10 win over Tel Aviv Heat. [8] He went on to start in the final against the Lusitanos winning 17–10. Todua scored in both the semifinal and final of the 2023 Rugby Europe Super Cup, winning the competition. [9] [10] He started in all of Black Lion's games in the 2023–24 EPCR Challenge Cup, including the famous win over Scarlets. [11]
He made his debut for the national side in 2008, starting against the Czech Republic in Prague. His first try came against the USA in the 2009 Churchill Cup, scoring in a 31–13 loss. [12]
He was selected for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, he started in all of Georgia's matches, [13] [14] [15] including their only win of the tournament, a 25–9 win over European rivals Romania. [16] In 2013 he was selected to be part of the Georgia sevens squad for the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens. [17]
He was selected for the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England, however only featured twice. Starting in Georgia's first ever match against New Zealand and Namibia. The win over Namibia was Todua's 50th cap. [18] It was their most successful tournament, with them winning two games and automatically qualifying for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. [19]
He scored his 10th try in a Test match against the French Barbarians in May 2018. In the following year he was selected for his 3rd World Cup. He featured in three out of their four games, scoring twice against Uruguay and Australia.
In 2022 he scored in Georgia's first ever win over a Tier 1 nation, when they beat Italy 28–19. [20] He won his 100th cap in 34–18 win over Uruguay. [21] The same year he scored in Georgia's second ever win over a Tier 1 nation, in November 2022 beating Wales 11–12 in Cardiff. [22]
He was named in the Georgia squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France, he became one of six Georgians to play at four Rugby World Cup tournaments. He only featured once in a draw against Portugal. [23] [24]
The 1987 Rugby World Cup was the first Rugby World Cup. It was co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia – New Zealand hosted 21 matches while Australia hosted 11 matches. The tournament was won by New Zealand, who were the strong favourites and won all their matches comfortably. New Zealand defeated France 29–9 in the final at Eden Park in Auckland. The New Zealand team was captained by David Kirk and included such rugby greats as Sean Fitzpatrick, John Kirwan, Grant Fox and Michael Jones. Wales finished third, and Australia fourth, after conceding crucial tries in the dying seconds of both their semi-final against France and the third-place play-off against Wales.
The Georgia national rugby union team, nicknamed The Lelos, 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.
The United States men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Eagles, represents the United States of America Rugby Football Union in men's international rugby union. USA Rugby is the national governing body for the sport of rugby union in the United States, and is a member of Rugby Americas North, one of six regional governing bodies under World Rugby. Until rugby returned to Olympic competition, with sevens at the 2016 Rio Games, the United States was the reigning Olympic rugby champion, having won gold at the 1920 and 1924 Summer Olympics.
The Portugal national rugby union team, nicknamed Os Lobos, represents Portugal in men's international rugby union competitions. The team, as well as all rugby union in Portugal, is administered by the Federação Portuguesa de Rugby.
FC Dinamo Batumi is a Georgian professional football club based in Batumi, Adjara that competes in the Erovnuli Liga, the top division of the national football system.
The Didi 10 is a professional domestic rugby union club competition in Georgia. It is the top tier of rugby competitions in the country.
Merab "Meko" Kvirikashvili is a Georgian rugby union player. He started his career as a scrum-half but now plays as a fly-half and occasional fullback and is the all-time leading points scorer for the Georgia national rugby union team. He has also represented the Georgia national rugby league team and Georgia national rugby sevens team.
The 2013 Pacific Nations Cup rugby union tournament was held between five national sides in the Pacific Region: Canada, Fiji, Japan, Tonga, and USA.
Lasha Khmaladze is a Georgian rugby union player who plays as a fly-half and fullback for RC Batumi in the Georgia Championship.
Rugby Club Batumi LLC is a Georgian professional rugby union club from Batumi, who plays in the Didi 10, the first division of Georgian rugby. They have won the competition a total of 4 times.
Titi Lamositele is an American-Samoan rugby union player who plays at prop for Harlequins. He formerly played for the United States national team, before switching to play for Samoa in 2023.
The 2015 World Rugby Tbilisi Cup was the third edition of this international rugby union tournament, created by World Rugby. It was played from 13 to 21 June 2015 at the Avchala Stadium in Tbilisi, running alongside the 2015 World Rugby Nations Cup in Romania. The hosts Georgia were joined by 2015 Rugby World Cup counterparts Uruguay, and development sides Emerging Ireland and Emerging Italy.
Vasil Katsadze is a Georgian rugby union and rugby league player. He played as a wing and as a flanker in rugby union.
Nodar Tcheishvili is a Georgian professional rugby union player who plays as a lock for Super Cup club Black Lion and the Georgia national team.
Gela Aprasidze is a Georgian professional rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for Top 14 club Bayonne and the Georgia national team.
Beka Gigashvili is a Georgian rugby union player. His position is prop, and he currently plays for RC Toulonnais in the Top 14 and the Georgia national team.
Levan Kharabadze is a Georgian professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Erovnuli Liga club Dinamo Batumi.
Luka Matkava is a Georgian professional rugby union player who plays as a fly-half for Top 14 club Montpellier.
Tornike Kakhoidze is a Georgian rugby union player who plays at Black Lion in the Rugby Europe Super Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup.
The 2023–24 Didi 10 is the 55th season of the top flight of Georgian domestic rugby union competition.
