Georgia defeats Portugal in Rugby Europe Championship 2021
The Georgian national rugby team has a busy month of March in the new Rugby Europe season. Photo: TBC Bank/Facebook archive
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The Georgian national rugby team has handed a defeat to Portugal 29 to 16 in Rugby Europe Championship 2021 in Lisbon today.
????????v????????| Scorecard from Lisbon as @GeorgianRugby were made to work hard against an impressive @PortugalRugby line-up. #REC2021 #PORvGEO pic.twitter.com/Z4LLZ5oKwn
— Rugby Europe (@rugby_europe) March 6, 2021
The Rugby Europe Championship 2021 also serves as the qualifying tournament for the Rugby World Cup France 2023, Rugby Europe says.
FT in Lisbon, where #TheLelos took their 1st step on the Road to #RWC2023 #France2023 after wining against Portugal ????@rugby_europe Champs 2021
— Georgian Rugby (@GeorgianRugby) March 6, 2021
???????? Portugal 16-29 Georgia ???????? pic.twitter.com/z0UC4S34oU
Rugby Europe also reports that at the end of the 2022 edition the top two teams will directly qualify, while the third ranked team will enter a global qualifier.
????????????????| That concludes a great opening day of Rugby Europe Championship action.
— Rugby Europe (@rugby_europe) March 6, 2021
Special thanks to the teams who made it happen @RugbyRussia, @RugbyRomania, @GeorgianRugby and @PortugalRugby.
Also to our commentators @nickheathsport, @TomMay1, @ManOnTheMic60 and @rorylawson9. pic.twitter.com/YGcyELuzlq
The Georgian national rugby team will hold its next matches against:
- Spain on March 14
- Russia on March 20
- Romania - date to be conformed
- Belgium or Netherlands - also to be confirmed
????????v????????| All over as Georgia are forced to work hard for their win against Portugal. Some great rugby on show by both teams! #REC2021 #PORvGEO pic.twitter.com/FuYfxxsG8S
— Rugby Europe (@rugby_europe) March 6, 2021
The Georgian "Lelos", which have won Rugby Europe Championship in 2020, 2019 and 2018, are the 'dominant force' at the competition.
World Rugby meanwhile says that 'the road to France 2023 begins for four of the competing teams on Saturday, including defending champions Georgia, who will once again start out as favourites to claim the title and take a big step towards their ultimate goal of competing among the world’s best in two years’ time'.
The Lelos have taken 14 of the titles on offer since 2000, nine of them by way of a ‘Grand Slam’. Georgia have produced a clean sweep of wins in each of the last three seasons and are on a 15-game winning run dating back to an 8-7 defeat at the hands of Romania in March 2017. They have never lost at home since the competition took on its current format", World Rugby reports.
It however explains that although Georgia qualified directly for Rugby World Cup 2019 through their third-place pool finish at England 2015, they failed to repeat that performance in Japan so they need to go down the regional qualification route if they are to play at France 2023.