A historic moment: Georgia Women's first ever 15s Test match

On 17th April, a break through moment came for the women’s game in Georgia’s when their national side played their first ever Test Match.

The Georgians welcomed Kazakhstan to the Aia Arena in Kutaisi for two games, where the visitors earned a 47-5 win in the first ever Test match between the two nations. The Kazaks continued their winning streak the following week with a 32-0 victory.

Teona Chitaishvili was selected as the team’s captain, with sevens stars Mariam Gogouadze (who scored nine tries in the Women’s 7s Trophy 2024) and Manoni Sagharadze joining after switching from the 15s program.

In the first encounter Georgia had a positive start to the game, fending off Kazakhstan and even threatening to add some points of their own.

However, the visitors quickly took control of the ball and possession and locked in four uncontested tries before half-time. Although there was no comeback, Manoni Sagharadze crossed the whitewash to score Georgia’s first Test match try in the 26th minute.

Reflecting on the day, Sagaradze shared: “It was a very emotional day for all of us. We have always wanted to experience 15-a-side rugby, and this dream has now come true.

“We only had two weeks of training before this game, but today proved that we can compete in 15-a-side rugby. Scoring the first try for the national team was particularly special given the tense atmosphere and the score at that moment.”

In the second contest, Kazakhastan was by far the most dominant side leaving Kutaisi with a 32-0 victory to wrap up their tour to Georgia.

With the debut of the 15s program, Georgia could be the next team to join the Women’s Rugby Europe Trophy, a competition won by Belgium in 2025.

Georgia Head Coach Jaba Malaguradze called 27 players for the national team’s first training camp and was assisted by Lelos staff.

Malaguradze had coached the sevens women’s national team for the past three seasons and was the obvious choice to lead the 15s program.

In their official pre-match press conference, Malaguradze shared the happiness of such a historical day: “Our 15-woman team will play its first match at the national level, and in Georgia at that.

“It is a symbolic coincidence that the women’s team, like the men’s team, will play its first match in the Mecca of Georgian rugby, Kutaisi. We will play against Kazakhstan, a fairly experienced team that has previously participated in the Women’s World Cup and plays several games throughout the year.”