[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.

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.

He is still alive and living in Marseilles, he was interviewed on French radio on the occasion of Georgia playing France in the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

A large, heavy ball was placed in the middle of the field and the goal of the game was to carry it over the river creek of the opposing side.

The rugby union connection between France and Georgia started as links were established by the then powerful French Communist Party and many other left-wing organisations.

Georgia's 1998 loss to Romania saw them play a two legged repechage play-off against Tonga to qualify for the 1999 World Cup.

After France and Italy dropped from the reborn European Nations Cup, Georgia became a major force in the tournament.

The victorious nation would head to the 2003 Rugby World Cup, and the loser would be relegated to fight it out for a repechage position.

In the 2003 Rugby World Cup, Georgia were grouped into pool C alongside giants – South Africa and England.

The 2007 world cup campaign is also well remembered for Georgians by a brilliant display against Ireland, where Georgia narrowly lost the match 10–14.

At 2011 Rugby World Cup, Georgia's Pool B included England, Argentina and Scotland, as well as local rivals Romania.

Georgia finished their campaign with a strong showing against Argentina, leading 7–5 at half time before conceding 20 unanswered points to lose 25–7.

Georgia is approaching the 2019 World Cup with confidence, it has just won three of the four European Nations Championship and has a squad that combines youth (Abzhandadze, Kveseladze) and experience (Mamukashvili, Chilachava, Bregvadze).

During this Cup, Georgia showed progress but still lacks organization from an offensive point of view, individual and collective quality for three quarters.

Additionally, the squad must undergo a renewal process following the retirement of key players such as Mamukashvili, Begadze, and Malaguradze.

On 1 February, Georgia clashed with their Romanian rivals in the 2020 European Nations Championship, concluding with a 41–13 victory for the Lelos.

Placed in a pool with England, Ireland, and Wales, the Georgians finished last in the competition after conceding a classification match against Fiji.

Next, more concerningly, on 23 September they drew with the only other Tier two team in the pool, Portugal by a score of 18–18 in a match they were expected to win; 7 days later they put up a strong fight against Fiji but were eventually defeated 17–12 before finishing on 7 October getting well beaten by Wales 43–19.

A shock victory for Portugal against Fiji condemned Georgia to fifth place in the pool, although the extension of the 2027 World Cup to 24 teams announced shortly afterwards relieved some of the concerns for future qualification.

Georgia returned to form, however, in the following Rugby Europe Internationally championship, once more winning the second tier competition convincingly.

[5] Lelo or lelo burti (Georgian: ლელო ბურთი), literally a "field ball [playing]", is a Georgian folk sport, which is a full contact ball game, and very similar to rugby, itself a public school codification of older folk football games.

[7] In 2014, lelo burti, along with khridoli, a traditional martial art, was inscribed by the government of Georgia as a "nonmaterial monument" of culture.

[8] It appears in the 12th century Georgian epic poem The Knight in the Panther's Skin in which the characters play lelo burti.

Georgia compete annually in the Rugby Europe Championship (previously named European Nations Cup).

His first club was Lelo in the Georgian Top League, he was soon selected for the Georgia national team and made his debut in 2003 against Spain, at the age of just 18 and not long after he started playing rugby.

He moved up the leagues to the Top 14 in the 2004/05 season to play with Clermont where he joined his Georgian compatriot Goderdzi Shvelidze.

He was part of a Georgian scrum which scored three penalty tries and also a pushover try in the calendar year, he also a memorable solo try from 45 metres out against Russia in Trabzon and an important try against Canada.

A member of their inaugural World Cup side in 2003, he captained Georgia in the 2007 tournament, but was forced out of the squad because of an injury.

He returned to the squad in late 2008, playing against Scotland A and taking part in the 2009 European Nations Cup, where he scored a game-saving try against Portugal on 14 February 2009.

[citation needed] The following Georgia players have been recognised at the World Rugby Awards since 2001:[15] The current coaching staff of the Georgian national team:[16]