Rugby World Cup: Georgia off to play Scotland before joining global celebration
The Lelos departed Tbilisi for Edinburgh early on Tuesday morning, with the squad set to travel to Japan for the World Cup afterwards. Photo: Gogita Bukhaidze/Georgian Rugby.
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Georgia’s national rugby team were honoured with a formal send-off to the upcoming Rugby World Cup in Japan, with the Lelos departing for Edinburgh to play Scotland on Friday before travelling to the Land of the Rising Sun for the tournament.
Officials hosted the team in Tbilisi on Monday, with Ambassador of Japan to Georgia Tadaharu Uehara and Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia Shalva Gogoladze wishing the team success at the competition launching later this month.
Georgian Rugby also released the roster of 31 players to comprise the Lelos squad at the World Cup, where head coach Milton Haig’s team will face Australia, Fiji, Uruguay and Wales in their pool.
.@GeorgianRugby have named their squad for #RWC2019, including the mighty Mamuka Gorgodze who returns to the international stage https://t.co/FYP1Z1KdTY pic.twitter.com/BVIB9OQjQt
— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) September 2, 2019
Legendary captain Mamuka Gorgodze is making a surprise comeback three years following his retirement from international rugby to help the team in Japan, after he was asked to relieve the squad thinned out by recent injuries.
Gorgodze will still need final clearance from his French club Toulon to join the Georgian squad in Japan, however Georgian Rugby said his participation in what will be the back row’s fourth World Cup was “99 percent” probable.
While Gorgodze will benefit the team with his wealth of experience, 13 players will feature in their first World Cup, teenage hooker Vano Karkadze the youngest of them at the age of 19.
Most of the squad — 22 players — ply their trade with foreign clubs, with the rest from Georgia’s national Big 10 championship.
#HappyInBattle With 17 Forwards and 14 Backs Milton Haig names #TheLelos 31 men squad for @rugbyworldcup 2019 in Japan ???????? ???? ????
— Georgian Rugby Union (@GeorgianRugby) September 2, 2019
Read more here: https://t.co/AB9nmGNG0v#RWC2019 #რაგბიჩვენითამაშია #TheLelos pic.twitter.com/vhzf5c23Iu
Before travelling to Japan for the tournament the team — minus Gorgodze, who will join them in the Land of the Rising Sun — will face Scotland in a return test match following Saturday’s fixture between them in Tbilisi.
The Lelos will play their Scottish counterparts at Murrayfield in Edinburgh on Friday, in what will be the final test match for both teams before the World Cup.
The tournament in Japan will mark a closing chapter for Milton Haig, with the New Zealander set to leave the Georgian national team after nine years in charge — a period that saw major progress and increasing international recognition for the Lelos.
The Rugby World Cup will run between September 20-November 2, with Georgia playing Wales in their Pool D opening match.
The Georgian national rugby team has defeated Southern Kings in Tbilisi today ahead of the Rugby World Cup that will be held from September 20 to November 2 in Japan. The Georgian Lelo’s handed a defeat to Southern Kings 24 to 20 at Mikheil Meskhi stadium.
World Rugby, the international governing body of the game, has released the first episode of Georgia: Rugby's Next Superpower, a documentary series tracing the nation's "meteoric" rise to prominence on the international rugby stage.
Georgia’s national rugby team has defeated Russia in the Rugby Europe championship to become the victor of the competition. The Georgian ‘Lelos’ handed a defeat to Russia 22 to 6 in the Russian city of Krasnodar today.
The Georgian national rugby team is celebrating its 30th anniversary. It was on September 12, 1989 when Georgia handed a defeat to Zimbabwe 16 to 3 in its first ever test-match in Kutaisi, the western Georgian region of Imereti.
The mayor of the city of Nagoya declared his love for the Georgian national team at an official Rugby World Cup welcoming event, as the Lelos step up their preparations for the competition set to kick off on Friday.
The Georgian national rugby team defeated Uruguay at the Rugby World Cup in the Japan today. The Georgian Lelo's handed a defeat to Les Teros 33 to 7 in the Japanese town of Kumagaya.
Fiji has defeated Georgia 45:10 at the Rugby World Cup competition held in Japan earlier today. Fiji won the first half of the game by 7:3. However, in the second half they managed to score six tries.
The Georgian national rugby team will face off against Scotland at 8 p.m. at Dinamo Arena in Tbilisi tonight, ahead of the Rugby World Cup, scheduled to be held from September 20 to November 2 in Japan.