Georgia’s “historic” rugby win over Italy in spotlight of int’l publications
One more publication calling the victory of the Georgian team “historic” is the Daily Mail, which also called the event a “phenomenal rugby experience”, noting Georgia deserved to have more of them. Photo: Georgian Rugby Union
Tweet 
Share
The Georgian national rugby team’s test match triumph over Italy, which marked the Lelos’ first-ever win against a Tier 1 nation last week in Georgia’s Black Sea city of Batumi, has attracted the attention of international sports publications.
Ajara Tourism Department, the regional body serving the city and the region where the game was hosted, posted a collection of quotes from foreign sports websites in the wake of the game on Thursday.
It quoted RugbyPass, one of the publications dedicating a piece to the victory that said the Lelos had “made history”, and pointed out the country’s record for their “first-ever win” over a Tier 1 side, a term used to describe leading national rugby teams.
History had been made. Georgia had won. And the supporters and players alike erupted”, RugbyPass reported.
Another publication covering Georgia’s triumph against a Six Nations team for the first time was Rugby World, which said the Lelos were “no longer a team that relies solely on their set-piece”, adding “they have more of an all-court game with dangerous runners in their back-line”.
They beat Italy 28-19 in front of a vocal crowd in Batumi, which is located on the Black Sea coast, and fireworks were launched from the city’s skyscrapers to mark the famous triumph”, Rugby World said.
Italian La Reppublica also wrote a piece about the Georgian team’s win and noted the Lelos proved to be stronger than the Azzurri, “intensifying its ambition” to take a place in the “most prestigious tournament”, in reference to the Six Nations competition that does not currently allow inclusion of new teams, despite many calls to allow qualification for new aspiring entrants. Photo: Georgian Rugby Union
Another Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport called the defeat an "ice shower" for Italy and pointed out it was a “heavy and well-deserved” defeat for the Italians, adding Georgia deserved its “honoured place” in big rugby.
One more publication calling the victory of the Georgian team “historic” is the Daily Mail, which also called the event a “phenomenal rugby experience”, noting Georgia deserved to have more of them.
Rugby is Georgia's national sport and the passion for it here is obvious. You only had to be in Batumi to realise that. The home anthem was belted out with gust”, Daily Mail said.
Along with the “historic” match, Batumi also came under the attention of publications as the host city of victory and international competitions, the Department said.
Georgia will participate in the Rugby World Cup competition for the sixth time since 2003, after the national team became the 15th squad to qualify for the 2023 competition that will take place in France, the Georgian Rugby Union announced on Thursday.
Georgia’s national rugby team defeated Italy in a test game in the Black Sea city of Batumi on Sunday, recording a “historic” win over a Tier 1 squad.
The coaching staff of the Georgian national rugby team has revealed the 23 players travelling to South Africa to face the current world champions in two test games starting this week.
Georgia's national rugby team will play three matches against two of the major sides of the sport in the space of two weeks this summer, with the Lelos set to travel to South Africa for two test games against the current World Champions before hosting Scotland in Tbilisi.
In its last summer test game, Georgia’s national rugby team defeated Portugal on Saturday at Aia Arena in the western Georgian city of Kutaisi
Businessman, author and TV analyst Mark Haynes Daniell said the international coverage of the Georgian national rugby team’s historic win over Italy this month was generating positive economic effect for the country, in an interview published by Georgian Rugby on Wednesday.
Georgia’s Under-18 national rugby team won the Rugby Europe U18 championship quarter-final match against their Czech counterparts with a score 76:0 in Rustavi on Sunday.
Georgia’s Under-18 national rugby team visited children in a Tbilisi clinic on Monday to engage in laughter therapy and entertain the patients as part of a Georgian rugby union programme, the national body said. Following their victory over the Czech Republic in the Rugby Europe U18 championship quarter-final on Monday, the junior Lelos and entertainment artists joined children at the clinic and engaged in activities with them.
Georgia’s Under-18 national rugby team won the Rugby Europe U18 championship for the fourth time in a row after defeating Portugal 34:10 on Sunday.
Georgia’s national rugby team records a historic win over a Tier 1 squad in an away game, defeating Wales on Saturday in the third November test match at the Principality stadium in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales.
Top officials of the Six Nations rugby tournament have proposed Georgia as host country for a future edition of the Under-18 Rugby Festival of the competition, the Georgian rugby federation said on Thursday.
The Georgia Rugby Union’s representatives congratulated the United States Georgia Rugby Union on New Year’s Eve - “with love from Georgia to Georgia”, through a video posted on the social media platform.
The Georgia Rugby Union, the governing body for the sport in the American state, will lend its voice of support to the national team of Georgia at the upcoming Rugby World Cup in France, Steve Mace, the GRU President, said on Sunday.
Georgia’s Under-20 national rugby team on Thursday defeated England with a score 40-38 in a test match ahead of the U20 World Rugby Championship later this month in South Africa.
Georgia’s Under-20 national rugby team on Tuesday defeated Italy in the final round of the group stage of the World Under-20 Championship, winning their pool and booking qualification for the playoffs.
Black Lion, the first Georgian professional rugby franchise, will make history by featuring in the European Professional Club Rugby’s Challenge Cup, an annual competition scheduled to begin in December.
Georgia Barbarians, the rugby club of the American state, will visit Georgia on August 18th on a diplomatic mission after the governing bodies of the state and the country agreed to form closer ties earlier this year.