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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.
Irakli, Irakly, or Erekle is a Georgian version of the Greek name Heracles, and is a popular masculine name in Georgia.
Club Athlétique Brive Corrèze Limousin, also referred to as CA Brive, Brive or CAB, is a French professional rugby union club based in Brive-la-Gaillarde, in the Corrèze department.
The Rugby Europe International Championships is the European Championship for tier 2 and tier 3 rugby union nations.
CS Bourgoin-Jallieu is a French rugby union club competing in the third level of the French league system, Nationale.
The Georgia national rugby union team has competed in five consecutive Rugby World Cup tournaments. Starting in 2003, they were placed in Pool C with eventual winners England, South Africa, Uruguay and Samoa, where they lost all four matches. Georgia qualified for the 2007 World Cup and were placed in Pool D with Argentina, France, Ireland and Namibia, where they beat Namibia. In 2011 Rugby World Cup, Georgia qualified for their third straight tournament. They were placed in Pool B with Scotland, England, Argentina and Romania and won the game against rivals Romania. Their best performance was in 2015 tournament, when they were drawn against eventual world champions New Zealand, Argentina, Tonga and Namibia. Georgia won games against Tonga and Namibia, finished third in the group and automatically qualified for 2019 Rugby World Cup.
Sport in Georgia has a long history.
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.
Akvsent Guiorgadze is a Georgian rugby union player. He plays as a hooker.
FC Mertskhali is a Georgian association football club from Ozurgeti. Following the 2023 season, the team won Group C of the regional league and earned promotion to Liga 4, the fourth tier of Georgian football.
Irakli Abuseridze is a Georgian rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half. Abuseridze is the most capped player of all time for the Georgia national rugby union team.
Malkhaz Urjukashvili is a Georgian rugby union player. He plays as a wing.
Revaz Gigauri is a Georgian rugby union player who plays as a fullback and as a centre.
Irakli Natriashvili is a Georgian rugby union player. He plays Hooker for Georgia on international level. Natriashvili also plays for French club, Brive in the Pro D2 and Top 14 competition. He has also featured in a Romanian club Farul Constanţa and played for Armia in the Georgia Championship, in 2011 he featured in Fédérale 1 club, St Junien.
Natriashvili played his first game with Georgia on 29 April 2006 against Ukraine in the European Nations Cup, at the age of just 21. However Natriashvili hasn't played a world cup yet, missing selection for Georgia's squad at the 2007 and 2011 Rugby World Cup.
Playing for the club Farul Constanţa till the 2010, he then signed for Brive in late 2011. Natriashvili still plays for the side, competing in the Pro D2 and Top 14 competitions. He also played in the Georgia Championship, with Armia.
Irakli Machkhaneli is a retired Georgian rugby union player who played as a wing.
Tevodore "Tedo" Zibzibadze is a Georgian rugby union player who plays as a centre.
RC Armazi is a Georgian professional rugby club from Marneuli, who plays in the Didi 10, the first division of Georgian rugby. Rugby club Armazi was founded in Tbilisi.
Beka Gorgadze is a Georgian rugby union player, currently playing for Top 14 side Pau. His preferred position is number 8.
Giorgi Giorgadze is a former Soviet, current Georgian chess Grandmaster (GM) (1993), two-times Georgian Chess Championship winner, Chess Olympiad individual bronze medalist (1996).
Irakli Aptsiauri is a Georgian rugby union player who plays for Lyon OU in the French Top 14.
