Rugby Europe: champions Georgia set for 4 games in March in new season
Georgia's Vasil Lobzhanidze in action against Russia in the concluding round of Rugby Europe Championship Season 2020 last weekend. Photo via Rugby Europe.
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The Georgian national rugby team will have a busy month of March in the new Rugby Europe season, with four games to be played in the space of three weeks by the Lelos.
Head coach Levan Maisashvili's team will open the season with a trip to Portugal on March 6-7 and close out the month with a home fixture against Romania on March 27-28, the European body's newly released calendar shows.
The only remaining match for the Lelos will be the June 27/28 game versus Belgium or the Netherlands, set to be played in Tbilisi.
Rugby Europe said the scheduling was impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The virus also heavily disrupted last season's calendar, with final rounds of the season under threat of cancellation before they were eventually played in the spring.
The Lelos claimed their 18th Rugby Europe Championship title since 2001 with a win against Russia in Tbilisi last weekend, rounding off the 2020 season of the continental series.
The Georgian national rugby team has defeated Russia in the Rugby Europe Championship 2020 in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi today. The Georgian "Lelos" handed a defeat to Russia 16 to 7 in the game that had been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A brand-new rugby arena will emerge in western Georgia's hub city Zugdidi, with the local government announcing the construction on Thursday.
Georgian rugby player Giorgi Kveseladze has joined English club Gloucester and will spend the next two years representing them in Premiership Rugby and European competitions.
The Georgian national rugby team is set to play in Eight Nations, a new competition designed to replace autumn test matches, and face England among their competitors.
Nick Mallett, the former coach for South African and Italian national rugby teams, has criticised the latest rejection of chances for Georgia to enter the Six Nations tournament and declared there should be a discussion about letting the Lelos have more chances to compete against top-tier teams in Europe.
The Georgian national rugby team has handed a defeat to Portugal 29 to 16 in Rugby Europe Championship 2021 in Lisbon today. The Georgian "Lelos", which have won Rugby Europe Championship in 2020, 2019 and 2018 are the 'dominant force' at the competition, World Rugby says.
The Georgian national rugby team has handed a defeat to Spain 25:19 in the Rugby Europe Championship 2021 in Madrid today. Over a week ago the Lelos also defeated Portugal in Lisbon.
The Georgian national rugby team has handed a defeat to Russia 23:6 in the Rugby Europe Championship 2021 in Kaliningrad today. This is the third victory for Georgia at the championship, which also serves as the qualifying tournament for the Rugby World Cup France 2023.