PM Garibashvili praises Georgia’s budding rugby players

Georgia’s aspiring rugby players were showered with praise today when Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili visited them at their training ground.

The head of the Georgian Government visited Shevardeni training base earlier today where he met players of the U18 and U20 sides and congratulated them on their recent success in international competitions.

Garibashvili said he was extremely proud to see the recent development of Georgian rugby and the talents of the upcoming sportsmen. He promised the Government would offer significant support to the sporting code to allow aspiring players to fulfill their potential and ensure Georgia continued to compete on the world stage.

"I, as a citizen of Georgia and head of the Government, am proud to watch the success of these strong boys. The development of rugby is their merit. Several years ago [ex-Prime Minister] Mr. Bidzina Ivanishvili started an unprecedented program of supporting rugby. Already ten training grounds have been constructed and this is one of them,” said Garibashvili.

"Our sportsmen, our rugby players, have maximum support from the Government. The fact that our U18 rugby team is runner up European champion and our U20 team gained the right to compete in the world championship is a great victory.

"It is also not incidental that in 2017 Georgia will host the U20 World Rugby Championship. This is a great recognition of our hero boys,” he noted.

Garibashvili was joined by Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Tariel Khechikashvili and together the officials inspected the fields and training gyms of the rugby base.

The Georgian PM then took several photos with the rugby players.

Before the PM left, Georgian Rugby Union president George Nijaradze gifted Garibashvili a rugby ball and a rugby jersey, which the U20 team will wear when playing in the 2017 U20 Rugby World Cup.

Click here to read our article about the increasing success of Georgian rugby.