Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Georgian international exits Stade Francais after six seasons

NANTES, FRANCE - OCTOBER 7: Giorgi Tsutskiridze, Merab Sharikadze and Mikheil Gachechiladze of Georgia walk on pitch after the Rugby World Cup France 2023 match between Wales and Georgia at Stade de la Beaujoire on October 7, 2023 in Nantes, France. (Photo by Levan Verdzeuli/Getty Images)

Lelos international Giorgi Tsutskiridze will be announced as a Black Lion player for the next two seasons, leaving the Top14 side, Stade Français, six years after arriving in France.

ADVERTISEMENT

His first team in France was Stade Aurillacois back in 2018 and he had an instant impact playing a key role for the famous Pro D2 club over the course of four seasons, moving to Paris in the Summer of 2022.

The 27-year-old had little game time while playing for the Parisian side, and the decision to go back home was the right one in order to wrestle for a starting spot in Richard Cockerill’s Georgia setup.

Video Spacer

Damian de Allende – Walk the Talk Trailer | RPTV

Springbok Damian de Allende joins Jim Hamilton for a fascinating chat about all things Springbok rugby, including RWC2023 and the upcoming Ireland series. Watch it exclusively on RugbyPass TV

Watch now

Video Spacer

Damian de Allende – Walk the Talk Trailer | RPTV

Springbok Damian de Allende joins Jim Hamilton for a fascinating chat about all things Springbok rugby, including RWC2023 and the upcoming Ireland series. Watch it exclusively on RugbyPass TV

Watch now

With 36 caps and six tries, Tsutskiridze made his Men’s Rugby World Cup debut in 2023 and helped the Lelos raise the Men’s Rugby Europe Championship seven times.

With months still to spare for the start of the Rugby Europe Super Cup season, the Georgian franchise Black Lion will announce in the next couple of days three more signings: Vladimer Chachanidze (US Nevers – Pro D2), Guga Ghaniashvili (FC Grenoble – Pro D2), and Vasil Kakovin (Stade Français – Top14).

Loosehead prop, Kakovin, who had spells at Stade Toulousain, CA Brive, Racing 92, and Stade Français, made his last match for Georgia in 2016 and can be back in contention for the Lelos Summer Tour.

24-year-old lock Lado Chachanidze ends his adventure in France as his contract wasn’t extended by USO Nivernaise, departing back to his home country.

ADVERTISEMENT

Ghaniashvili is one of the most talented prospects in the Georgian front row but exits Grenoble without debuting for the top senior team.

The three-time Rugby Europe Super Cup winners are eyeing a fourth successful campaign and hope to add a few more scalps in the EPCR Challenge Cup, after defeating the Scarlets in December of 2023.

In this episode of Walk the Talk, Jim Hamilton chats with double World Cup winner Damian de Allende about all things Springbok rugby, including RWC2023 and the upcoming Ireland series. Watch now for free on RugbyPass TV

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
JW 4 hours ago
Six former All Blacks eligible for new nations in 2025

He wasn't, he was only there a couple of years. Don't get me wrong, he's a player of promise, but without ever having a season at 10 at that level, one could hardly ever think he would be in line to take over.


But if you really want to look at your question deeper, we get to that much fabled "production line" of the Crusaders. I predict you'll know what I mean when I say, Waikato, Waikato, Queensland.


I don't know everything about him (or his area I mean) but sure, it wouldnt have just been Razor that invested in him, and that's not to say he's the only 10 to have come out of that academy in the last half dozen years/decade since Mo'unga, but he is probably the best. So it's a matter of there having been no one else why it was so easy for people to picture him being razors heir apparent (no doubt he holds him in more high regard than the blurb/reference of his recently published though). And in general there is very much a no paching policy at that level which you may not appreciate .


For England? Really? That's interesting. I had just assumed he was viewed as club man and that national aspect was just used to entice him over. I mean he could stil be used by Scotland given I wouldn't expect them to have a whole lot of depth even thoe fh's one of their strongest positions at the moment. But certainly not England.


Personally I still think that far more likely was the reason. He would/could have done the same for Crusaders and NZ, just without half as much in his pocket. And as an individual I certainly don't think he'd have chosen England over the All Blacks (as a tru blue kiwi i mean), and he of all people should know where he sits. He said he wants to play internationally, so I take that at face value, he didn't think that could be for NZ, and he might have underestimated (or been mislead by McCall) England (and Scotland really), or have already chosen Scotland at the time, as seems the case from talk of his addition.


Again though, he's a player who I'd happily rate outside the trifecta of Barrett/McKenzie/Mo'unga in basic ability , even on par with foreign players like Plummer, Sopoaga, Ioane, and ahead of a bunch in his era like Falcon, Trask, Reihana. I've done the same thing >.< excluding Perofeta from the 10 debate. Hes probably below him but I think pero is a 15 now.

31 Go to comments
J
JW 6 hours ago
Six former All Blacks eligible for new nations in 2025

What do you mean should?


Are you asking these questions because you think they are important reasons a player should decide to represent a country?


I think that is back the front. They are good reasons why someone 'would' be able to choose Fiji (say in the case of Mo'unga's cousin who the Drua brought into their environment), but not reason's why they "should". Those need to be far more personal imo.


If you think it was me suggesting he "should" play for Fiji, I certainly wasn't suggesting that. I was merely suggesting he would/could because ther'ye very close to his heart with his dad having represented them.


I did go on to say the right sort of environment should be created to encourage them to want to represent Fiji (as with case of their european stars it's always a fine balance between wanting to play for them and other factors (like compared with personal develop at their club). but that is also not trying to suggest those players should want to play for Fiji simply because you make the prospect better, you're simply allowing for it to happen.


TLDR I actually sent you to the wrong post, I was thinking more about my reply to HU's sentiments with yours. Instead of running you around I'll just paste it in

What's wrong with that? Hoskins Sotutu could be selected for the Maori All Blacks, then go on latter and move to England and represent them, then once his career in England (no longer at that standard) is over move to Japan and finish his career playing for Fiji. Why should he not be able to represent any or all of those teams?

Actually I can't remember if it was that message or whether it indeed was my hypothetical Fiji example that I wanted to suggest would improve the International game, not cheapen it.


I suppose I have to try and explain that idea further now. So you say it cheapens the game. They game is already "cheap" when a nation like Fiji is only really allowed to get their full team going in a WC year. Or even it's the players themselves only caring about showing up in a WC year. To me this is a problem because a Fiji campaign/season isn't comparable to their competitors (in a situation where they're say ranked in the top 8. Take last year for instance. Many stars were absent of the Pacific Nations Cup, for whatever reason, but hey, when their team is touring a big EU nation like England or Ireland, wow suddenly theyre a high profile team again and they get the stars back.


Great right? No. Having those players come back was probably detrimental to the teams performance. My idea of having Sotutu and Bower encouraged (directly or indirectly) to play for Fiji is merely as a means to an end, to give the Flying Fijians the profile to both enrich and more accurately reflect the international game. You didn't really state what you dislike but it's easy to guess, and yes, this idea does utilize that aspect which does devalue the game in other cases, so I wanted to see if this picture would change that in this example (just and idea I was throwing out their, like I also said in my post, I don't actually think Sotutu or any of these players are going anywhere, even Ioane might still be hopeful of being slected).


The idea again, raise the visibility on the PNC so that can stand as a valued tournament on it's own and not require basic funded by WR to continue, but not enough to involve all the best players (even Japan treated it as a chance to play it's amatuers). Do this by hosting the PI island pool in places like Melbourne every other year, include some very high profile and influential team in it like an All Black team, and yes, by the nations getting together and creating ways to increase it's popularity by say asking individuals like Sotutu and Bower to strength it's marketability, with the hopeful follow on affect that stars like Botia and Radradra always want to (and can) represent their country. With Fiji as the example, but do it with Samoa and Tonga as well. They will need NZ and Aus (Japan) assistance to make a reality imo.


I don't believe this cheapens the game, I believe it makes it more valued as you're giving players the choice of who they chose to play for rather than basing it off money. Sotutu would never have forgone his paycheck to play for Fiji instead of NZ at the beginning, so you should viewed his current choice as 'cheap'

31 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Gatland will stand or fall on controversial Wales calls as feelings run high Gatland will stand or fall on controversial Wales calls as feelings run high
Search