Levan Maisashvili has chosen the Georgia Rugby World Cup squad 2023, with objectives and expectations set excessive for one of many best Georgian alternatives of the final decade.

Tornike Kakhoidze is the most important shock inclusion, making it into the 33-player crew, in the identical yr he performed and was seen as the most effective gamers within the U20 Rugby World Cup. 

Giorgi Chkoidze wasn’t chosen as one of many three hookers taken to France, falling behind Tengiz Zamtaradze, Luka Nioradze, and centurion, Shalva Mamukashvili. Montauban’s Otar Giorgadze, who performed within the 2019 RWC in Japan, didn’t make the ultimate lower, as new stalwart Luka Ivanishvili impressed within the final six months and can have the prospect to play in his first-ever Rugby World Cup on the age of 21.

Luka Matkava, who began within the warm-up matches in opposition to Romania, United States of America, and Scotland, and Tedo Abzhandadze are the one two fly-halves picked, with Mikheil Alania (Aurillac), neglected of the World Cup. 

Georgia Rugby World Cup squad 2023

Props

Mikheil Nariashvili (Black Lion)
Guram Gogichashvili (Racing 92)
Nika Abuladze (Exeter Chiefs)
Beka Gigashvili (Toulon)
Guram Papidze (Pau)
Luka Japaridze (Montpellier)

Hookers

Shalva Mamukashvili (Black Lion)
Luka Nioradze (Aurillac)
Tengiz Zamtaradze (Black Lion)

Locks

Kote Mikoutadze (Bayonne)
Nodar Cheishvili (Black Lion)
Lasha Jayani (Névers)
Lado Chachanidze (Névers)

Unfastened forwards

Beka Saghinadze (Lyon)
Beka Gorgadze (Pau)
Giorgi Tsutskiridze (Stade Français)
Tornike Jalaghonia (Biarritz)
Mikheil Gachechiladze (Black Lion)
Luka Ivanishvili (Black Lion)

Scrum-halves

Vasil Lobzhanidze (Brive)
Gela Aprasidze (Bayonne)
Tengiz Peranidze (Black Lion)

Fly-halves

Tedo Abzhandadze (Montauban)
Luka Matkava (Black Lion)

Centres

Merab Sharikadze (Black Lion)
Tornike Kakhoidze (Black Lion)
Demur Tapladze (Black Lion)
Giorgi Kveseladze (Gloucester)

Wings

Akaki Tabutsadze (Black Lion)
Aleksandre Todua (Black Lion)
Mirian Modebadze (Black Lion)

Full-backs

Davit Niniashvili (Lyon)
Lasha Khmaladze (Black Lion)

Georgia Rugby World Cup Pool

Georgia have been drawn in Rugby World Cup Pool C alongside Australia, Portugal, Fiji and Wales.

Their group stage fixtures are as follows:

Sat 9 Sept Australia v Georgia  (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)

Sat 23 Sept Georgia v Portugal (Stadium de Toulouse, Toulouse)

Sat 30 Sept Fiji v Georgia (Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux)

Sat 7 Oct Wales v Georgia (Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes)

The knockout levels will comply with the identical format as earlier years, with groups from Swimming pools A and B then Swimming pools C and D assembly within the quarter-finals. So Wales and England might meet within the final eight, for instance.

QF1 – Winner Pool C v Runner-up Pool D
QF2 – Winner Pool B v Runner-up Pool A
QF3 – Winner Pool D v Runner-up Pool C
QF4 – Winner Pool A v Runner-up Pool B

Then the semi-finals would be the Winner of QF1 v Winner QF2 and the Winner QF3 v Winner QF4.

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