Georgia national rugby league team

Infobox rugby league nation
Name = Georgia
Badge =
Badge_size = 100px
Nickname = 13 Georgians
Association = Georgia Rugby League
Region = Europe
Coach = flagicon|Georgia David Kilassonia
Captain = flagicon|Georgia Virso Kadadze
Most caps =
Top scorer =
Home Stadium =
RLIF Rank = 15th
pattern_la1=_redborderandshoulder|pattern_b1=_redhorizontal|pattern_ra1=_redborderandshoulder
leftarm1=FFFFFF|body1=FFFFFF|rightarm1=FFFFFF|shorts1=FFFFFF|socks1=FF0000
First game = flagicon|Netherlands Netherlands 14 - 34 Georgia flagicon|Georgia (Tbilisi, Georgia; 29 April 2005)
Largest win = flagicon|Netherlands Netherlands 16 - 57 Georgia flagicon|Georgia (Tbilisi, Georgia; 26 May 2006)
Largest loss = flagicon|France France 60 - 0 Georgia flagicon|Georgia (Carcassonne, France; 30 October 2005)
World cup apps =
World cup first =
World cup best = The Georgia national rugby league team played its first international game in 2005. The Georgian team play in a red jersey with a white cross on the front. Before a match, they have their own "haka", called the "Perkhuli" (meaning "footwork").

History

The history of rugby league in Georgia began in 1991 when a Georgian player was recruited by a Russian rugby league club. In 1993 a rural Georgian rugby union club team defected to the Russian Rugby League. The club and all of its players were banned from playing rugby union in the future.

In 2004 Paata Tsintsadze established rugby league in Georgia, with the backing of the Rugby League European Federation. In June 2004 the Georgia Rugby League (GRL) was incorporated, and recognised by the State Sports Ministry. Nodar Andghuladze was the first Chief Executive Officer and David Kilassonia the coaching manager. Soon after rugby union clubs "Locomotivi" (Railways RC) and "Hooligana RC" joined the GRL, alongside a third club, the newly founded "Raindebi" (Knights).

Georgia played its first international match on April 29, 2005 against Netherlands in Rotterdam. The first international match on Georgian soil took place on July 24, 2005 at Dynamo Stadium, Tbilisi. In that match Georgia defeated Serbia 44-12 in front of 8000 spectators.

After winning a position to compete in the 2005 European Nations Cup, Georgia performed admirably against Russia, going down 48 to 14. After the defeat, Georgia took on six-time European Champions France, going down 60 to nil, in a rain soaked Vake Stadium in Georgia.

2008 World Cup Qualifying

"See also 2008 Rugby League World Cup qualifying"

In 2006 Georgia won Europe Round One, defeating Netherlands and Serbia in the process and qualifying to participate in Europe Pool One with Scotland and Wales. The winner of the pool qualified for the 2008 World Cup with the runner up entering the Repecharge round.

However, as a result of forfeiting a fixture in Russia and lacking a national league they were ejected from the World Cup Qualifying and de-registered from the RLIF. It later transpired that the Georgian team had forfeited this match because it was instead playing Rugby Union at the time. Rugby league is no longer played in Georgia, although it may return in the future.

Results

"See Russia for games played by "Soviet Union" and "C.I.S." in early 1990's"

ee also

* Rugby league in Georgia