Georgia and Romania have played each other on 29 occasions. [1] Georgia have won 19 times, Romania 9 times and 1 match has been drawn. They regularly play each other in the Rugby Europe Championship (previously named European Nations Cup).
The first match was played on 18 November 1998 at Lansdowne Road and was won by Romania 27–23.
The two sides have played each other once in a Rugby World Cup game in the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. Georgia won the match 25–9.
Since 2002, the winner of Georgia – Romania matches have been awarded the Antim Cup. It is named after the Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan Anthim the Iberian, who came from Georgia. The Antim 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 challenge cup along the lines of the Calcutta Cup and Bledisloe Cups to be annually played for between the Georgians and the Romanians.
Georgia and Romania have played each other on Rugby World Cup, Rugby World Cup qualification and in annual tournament - Rugby Europe Championship
Details | Played | Won by Georgia | Won by Romania | Drawn | Georgia points | Romania points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
In Georgia | 15 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 421 | 209 |
In Romania | 12 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 191 | 207 |
Neutral venue | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 36 |
Overall | 29 | 19 | 9 | 1 | 660 | 452 |
Note: Date shown in brackets indicates when the record was or last set.
Record | Georgia | Romania |
---|---|---|
Longest winning streak | 8 (18 March 2018 – present) | 3 (6 Apr 2002 – 12 Mar 2005) |
Largest points for | ||
Home | 56 (12 August 2023) | 35 (25 February 2006) |
Away | 31 (7 April 2001) | 31 (6 April 2002) |
Largest winning margin | ||
Home | 50 (12 August 2023) | 25 (25 February 2006) |
Away | 16 (28 September 2011) | 13 (30 March 2003) |
No. | Date | Venue | Score | Winner | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 18 November 1998 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin (Ireland) | 23–27 | Romania | 1999 Rugby World Cup Qualifying |
2 | 2 April 2000 | Dinamo Arena, Tbilisi | 20–23 | Romania | 2000 European Nations Cup |
3 | 7 April 2001 | Stadionul Dinamo, Bucharest | 20–31 | Georgia | 2000–01 European Nations Cup |
4 | 6 April 2002 | Dinamo Arena, Tbilisi | 23–31 | Romania | 2001–02 European Nations Cup |
5 | 30 March 2003 | Dinamo Arena, Tbilisi | 6–19 | Romania | 2003–04 European Nations Cup |
6 | 27 March 2004 | Agronomia Stadium, Iași | 25–18 | Romania | |
7 | 12 March 2005 | Dinamo Arena, Tbilisi | 20–13 | Georgia | 2004–06 European Nations Cup |
8 | 25 February 2006 | Stadionul Ghencea II, Bucharest | 35–10 | Romania | |
9 | 7 October 2006 | Stadionul Dinamo, Bucharest | 20–8 | Romania | 2007 Rugby World Cup Qualifying |
10 | 3 February 2007 | Stadionul Dinamo II, Bucharest | 17–20 | Georgia | 2006–08 European Nations Cup |
11 | 9 February 2008 | Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi | 22–7 | Georgia | |
12 | 14 March 2009 | Dinamo Arena, Tbilisi | 28–23 | Georgia | 2008–10 European Nations Cup |
13 | 13 March 2010 | Stadionul Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest | 22–10 | Romania | |
14 | 12 March 2011 | Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi | 18–11 | Georgia | 2010–12 European Nations Cup |
15 | 28 September 2011 | Arena Manawatu, Palmerston North (New Zealand) | 25–9 | Georgia | 2011 Rugby World Cup Pool match |
16 | 10 March 2012 | Stadionul Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest | 13–19 | Georgia | 2010–12 European Nations Cup |
17 | 16 March 2013 | Stadionul Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest | 9–9 | draw | 2012–14 European Nations Cup [lower-alpha 1] |
18 | 15 March 2014 | Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi | 22–9 | Georgia | |
19 | 21 March 2015 | Stadionul Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest | 6–15 | Georgia | 2014–16 European Nations Cup |
20 | 19 March 2016 | Dinamo Arena, Tbilisi | 38–9 | Georgia | |
21 | 19 March 2017 | Stadionul Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest | 8–7 | Romania | 2017 Rugby Europe Championship |
22 | 18 March 2018 | Dinamo Arena, Tbilisi | 25–16 | Georgia | 2018 Rugby Europe Championship |
23 | 9 February 2019 | Cluj Arena, Cluj-Napoca | 9–18 | Georgia | 2019 Rugby Europe Championship |
24 | 1 February 2020 | Dinamo Arena, Tbilisi | 41–13 | Georgia | 2020 Rugby Europe Championship |
25 | 28 March 2021 | Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi | 28–17 | Georgia | 2021 Rugby Europe Championship [lower-alpha 2] |
26 | 12 March 2022 | Stadionul Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest | 23–26 | Georgia | 2022 Rugby Europe Championship [lower-alpha 2] |
27 | 5 March 2023 | Achvala Stadium, Tbilisi | 31–7 | Georgia | 2023 Rugby Europe Championship |
28 | 12 August 2023 | Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi | 56–6 | Georgia | 2023 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches |
29 | 2 March 2024 | Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi | 43–5 | Georgia | 2024 Rugby Europe Championship |
Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union or more often just rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in England in the first half of the 19th century. Rugby is based on running with the ball in hand. In its most common form, a game is played between two teams of 15 players each, using an oval-shaped ball on a rectangular field called a pitch. The field has H-shaped goalposts at both ends.
The Rugby Championship, formerly known as the Tri Nations Series (1996–2011), is an international rugby union competition contested annually by Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. These are traditionally the four highest ranked national teams in the Southern Hemisphere; the Six Nations is a similar tournament in the Northern Hemisphere.
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 Romania national rugby union team represents Romania in men's international rugby union competitions. Nicknamed Stejarii, the team is long considered one of the stronger European teams outside the Six Nations. They have participated in all but one Rugby World Cup and currently compete in the first division of the European Nations Cup, which they won in 2017. Rugby union in Romania is administered by the Romanian Rugby Federation.
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 Rugby Europe International Championships is the European Championship for tier 2 and tier 3 rugby union nations.
The Antim Cup is contested between the rugby union teams of Romania and Georgia. It is named after the Metropolitan of Wallachia Anthim the Iberian, who was originally a Georgian.
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.
Rugby union in Georgia is a popular team sport. Rugby union is considered one of the most popular sports in Georgia.
Rugby union is a moderately popular team sport played in Romania with a tradition of more than 100 years. In past eras, the game had been more popular and Romanian national teams had been relatively highly ranked in world rugby, but their standing declined since the dawn of professionalism and the end of communism. The Romanian men's national team are currently 20th in the World Rugby Rankings as of 19 March 2023.
Lynn Howells is a Welsh rugby union coach, who until March 2018 was the head coach of the Romanian national team, having been the manager of the national side for 10 months prior to his appointment. Howells, born in Maerdy in Rhondda Valleys, played flanker at his nearest club Tylorstown RFC, before playing for Penygraig RFC. There he was noticed by Pontypridd RFC, and represented one of the top clubs in Wales in 1971.
The 2008–10 European Nations Cup First Division was the 7th edition of the championship since it was reformed in 2000. The championship not only determined the champions of the ENC but it also acted as an element of European qualification for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
The Oceania Rugby Men's Championship is an international rugby union competition for countries and territories from Oceania with national teams in the developmental band. It is administered by Oceania Rugby.
Milton Haig is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player. He was the head coach of the Georgian national team that annually competes the European Nations Cup.
Georgia and Russia have played 24 times, out of which Georgia has won 22 matches and Russia won a single match, 1 match ended in a draw.
The 2017 Rugby Europe Championship is the premier rugby union competition outside of the Six Nations Championship in Europe. It is the inaugural Championship under its new format, that saw Belgium, Georgia, Germany, Romania, Russia and Spain compete for the title.
The 2018 Rugby Europe Championship is the premier rugby union competition outside of the Six Nations Championship in Europe. This is the second season under its new format, that saw Georgia, Germany, Romania, Russia, Spain and Belgium compete for the title.
The 2021 Rugby Europe Championship was the 5th Rugby Europe Championship, the annual rugby union competition contested by the national teams of Georgia, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Spain and the Netherlands, and the 52nd edition of the competition. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament spanned from March to December, compared to previous editions where the tournament would have been held between February and March.
The 2022 Rugby Europe Championship was the sixth Rugby Europe Championship, the annual rugby union for the top European national teams outside the Six Nations Championship, and the 52nd edition of the competition.
The 2023 Rugby Europe Championship was the seventh Rugby Europe Championship, the annual rugby union for the top European national teams outside the Six Nations Championship, and the 53rd edition of the competition.