Bringing rugby to the mountains:
Young enthusiasts kick-start team in Georgia’s Svaneti region

Meet the players and people of RC Ushba – the newest rugby club established in Georgia representing the country's picturesque north-western Svaneti region.

Young athletes from the area now train and play professionally for the team, aptly named after its famed peak in the Caucasus Mountains, after two rugby enthusiasts helped bring the game to the remote mountainous location.

Reporter Levan Jobava and 19-year old certified coach Irakli Narsavidze teamed up in February to bring the game of rugby to locals living in Georgia’s mountain regions, including Svaneti.

Reporter Levan Jobava (L) and rugby coach Irakli Narsavidze with rugby balls and training equipment set for delivery to newly established RC Ushba. Photo from Levan Jobava/Facebook.

The idea came from Jobava, organiser of the We Bring Rugby to the Mountains program, which launched last year in an effort to raise awareness and spread the game throughout the country.

In late March the duo packed rugby balls and training equipment in a vehicle and headed to Svaneti to gift the sporting gear to the newly-established Ushba team.

RC Ushba coach Irakli Narsavidze (C) leads a training session of the newly established team on the backdrop of Svaneti's trademark historical towers. Photo from RC Ushba/Facebook.

Since then the club has held its first few training sessions under Narsavidze, a Svaneti native himself who currently played for Armazi rugby club.

The club also unveiled its own social network page that boasted an official logo representing Svaneti's symbolic historic towers, and encouraged enthusiastic children and teenagers of all ages to join the new rugby club.

RC Ushba coach Irakli Narsavidze (R) participates in a training session of the newly established team. Photo from Mestia Municipal Government/Facebook.

Now, Narsavidze will coach the young Svan players and help them develop their skills, while Jobava will continue to spread the game throughout Georgia within the updated We Bring Rugby to the Mountains project.

His contribution to the sport was highlighted at the 2015 Georgian Rugby Community Awards last month, where he was awarded for his efforts to raise awareness of rugby in Georgia’s remote areas.

In establishing the club, Narsavidze and Jobava were supported by the Georgian Public Broadcaster, the Georgian Rugby Union, LIVE Branding strategic development company, United Nations Women gender campaign HeForShe and local organisation Chven working against gender violence.