World Rugby resumes financial support for Georgia after sides meet to talk management

World Rugby, the international governing body for the sport, has resumed its financial support for Georgia after a "positive" meeting between representatives of the global organisation and Georgia Rugby Union that clarified management-related questions after repeatedly postponed elections for the president of the local body over the last year.

In an update released on Thursday, the GRU said the "concrete, positive" results had followed an "unprecedentedly representative" meeting where high-ranking World Rugby officials including Chief Executive Officer Alan Gilpin and international relations head David Carrigy heard their counterparts from the Georgian federation.

The GRU presented information to the world governing body about their financials and future plans while also clearing up "misconceptions about the situation in the Rugby Union" that "directly affected the reputation" of the Georgian organisation, GRU vice president Nikoloz Alavidze said.

The online call was the first meeting between the two sides in a year, with the tumultuous period in the Georgian rugby marred by repeatedly postponed presidential elections and allegations of an unfair process, as well as physical confrontation including a case of shooting at the Tbilisi offices of the national federation in September.

Confrontation between two camps characterised the elections of the president of the GRU, with former national team player Irakli Abuseridze winning a vote in December but  refused registration in the position by the National Agency of Public Registry due to procedural issues.

A subsequent rerun election in March was won by Ioseb Tkemaladze, the only standing candidate, while Abuseridze and his supporters protested against the process they called "shameful" and alleged forced votes in support of Tkemaladze and procedural irregularities. Tkemaladze formally assumed his position as the new president on March 22.

The financial support of World Rugby comprises about a fifth of the GRU budget and comes via development grants of the global body. GRU vice president Bacho Khurtsidze said the federation would also benefit from resumed support from the World Rugby Covid support fund following the Thursday meeting.