Back Georgiese nasionale rugbyspan Afrikaans منتخب جورجيا لاتحاد الرغبي Arabic Зборная Грузіі па рэгбі Byelorussian Регбех ловзаран Гуьржийчоьнан гулйина команда CE Gruzínská ragbyová reprezentace Czech Tîm rygbi'r undeb cenedlaethol Georgia Welsh Georgische Rugby-Union-Nationalmannschaft German Selección de rugby de Georgia Spanish Georgiako errugbi selekzioa Basque Georgian rugby union -maajoukkue Finnish
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| Nicknames | Borjgalosnebi Lelos | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Emblem | Borjgali | ||
| Union | Georgian Rugby Union | ||
| Most caps | Davit Kacharava (122) | ||
| Top scorer | Merab Kvirikashvili (838) | ||
| Top try scorer | Aka Tabutsadze (40) | ||
| Home stadium | Various | ||
| |||
| World Rugby ranking | |||
| Current | 12 (as of 17 November 2024) | ||
| Highest | 11 (2016, 2019, 2023) | ||
| Lowest | 23 (2004) | ||
| First international | |||
 Georgia 16–3 Zimbabwe  (Kutaisi, Georgia; 12 September 1989) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
 Georgia 98–3 Czech Republic  (Tbilisi, Georgia; 7 April 2007) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 England 84–6 Georgia  (Perth, Australia; 12 October 2003) | |||
| World Cup | |||
| Appearances | 6 (First in 2003) | ||
| Best result | Pool stage (2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023) | ||
| Website | rugby.ge/nationalteam | ||
The Georgia national rugby union team,[1] nicknamed The Lelos,[2] is administered by the Georgian Rugby Union. The team takes part in the annual Rugby Europe Championship, and the Rugby World Cup which takes place every four years and in which it has appeared continuously since 2003.
Georgia is currently considered one of the strongest second-tier rugby union nation. It is one of the world's fastest-growing rugby nations.[citation needed] The Lelos participate in the Rugby Europe Championship, winning the tournament in 2001 and every year since 2006–08, with the exception of 2017. The bulk of the national squad are based in France, in both the Top 14 and lower divisions. This is a practice that was popularised by the former national team coach, Claude Saurel, a Frenchman. Rugby is one of the most popular sports in Georgia, with many similarities to the ancient Georgian folk-sport of Lelo burti, from which the national team derives its nickname. The national team qualified for the Rugby World Cup six times, first in 2003 – playing against rugby powers such as England and South Africa. The Lelos won their first ever World Cup match in 2007, when they beat Namibia 30–0. Since 2013, Georgia has hosted the World Rugby Tbilisi Cup.
- ^ (Georgian: საქართველოს მორაგბეთა ეროვნული ნაკრები, sakartvelos moragbeta erovnuli nak’rebi)
- ^ Lelos is from the still-popular ancient traditional Georgian folk-sport of Lelo burti, a sort of rugby played with a pumpkin-shaped ball). Nicknamed The Borjgalosnebi (The Men of the Borjgali i.e. the traditional Georgian seven-armed solar symbol)