LONG READ Davit Niniashvili: 'Georgia can qualify for the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals'

“Aprasidze, looking dangerous… and so is the one they call Niniashvili! That’s gorgeous from Georgia.” These were Dallen Stanford’s words on commentary when Davit Niniashvili lacerated the Welsh defence in Nantes, scoring on the grandest stage of all, at a Rugby World Cup, yet again elevating the crowd to a deafening roar.

We are led to believe wizards, warlocks, magicians and the sort only exist in fantasy land but in a rugby sense, Niniashvili is proof of their presence. The Lyon back-three man has wowed supporters across Europe with his lancing runs from deep, mind-boggling tries and game-changing interventions. He is the only Georgian in RugbyPass’ recent list of the top 100 male players in the world and at just 22 years old, among the game’s most coveted attacking threats.

“There’s nothing special behind [my feats],” Niniashvili begins modestly. “I don’t think about the game before the game, I just get on the pitch and play.”

Poetry in motion from Davit Niniashvili and @GeorgianRugby 🇬🇪 #RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/v8yAprBkJ6

— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) November 21, 2024

Even if Georgia didn’t enjoy a spectacular World Cup, Niniashvili dazzled. He was a trailblazer and one of the most exhilarating stars of the competition, featuring prominently in the charts for line breaks and beaten defenders. That try against Wales, bringing his team back within a score after Louis Rees-Zammit’s second touchdown, was a trademark scorching run.

“When the team gathered under the poles after we had conceded Rees-Zammit’s try, Gela Aprasidze and Giorgi Kveseladze told me ‘Go Nini! We definitely need a try now and you have to score it.’ We played a combination where I got the ball, and it was symbolic for me that I scored a try at my first World Cup.”

The outside back has amassed 34 caps, but his days as an international started in 2017 when he was picked for the Under-18s squad. At the time, however, he wasn’t rampaging from the backfield.

Do you know that I was a flanker when I was first called for the U18s? The national team staff made the decision to move me to full-back, and I thought ‘this isn’t the position I play’, but they kept me in it.

“Do you know that I was a flanker when I was first called for the U18s? The national team staff made the decision to move me to full-back, and I thought ‘this isn’t the position I play’, but they kept me in it, and I played in that Rugby Europe Championship as a full-back for the first time. I was very happy when I represented my country in the competition, and even more happy with how things went.

“It’s an honour to be Georgian, to represent my country and introduce it to the whole world. Georgians have a different character, and we show this to our opponents in every game.”

Born in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, Niniashvili dipped his toe in the vast sporting pool very early, before taking up rugby aged eight. Local coach Davit Tskhvediani quickly saw something special in him.

“Davit, my first coach, came to my school and handed out invitations to participate in a rugby demonstration at the club, RC Khvamli. Before that, I only watched rugby on TV. I was the first in my family to have ever played rugby.

“I scored five tries in my first game! It was at a kid rugby festival. My uncle, my mother’s brother, was my biggest fan from the very beginning. Then Davit, Erekle Peradze and the entire Khvamli staff made a big contribution to my development. And of course, individual training and hard work brought me to where I am now.”

Davit Niniashvili is a total joy to watch. pic.twitter.com/45msCvUuTU

— Murray Kinsella (@Murray_Kinsella) November 17, 2024

Niniashvili grew up to become one of the most lethal outside backs in world rugby, orchestrating some of the most unfathomable plays of today’s game. Be it for Lyon or the Lelos, he can spark any match at any moment.

“My best feature is the ability to make good individual and out-of-the-ordinary decisions. For the future, I would like to improve the balance between running with the ball or making smarter decisions.”

In 2021, after earning his first full caps, an offer arrived from the Top 14 and Lyon. In his first year, Niniashvili helped his new club to their first major silverware since the 1930s, defeating Toulon in the Challenge Cup final.

“I couldn’t believe it was really for me. I knew Lyon was a great rugby club and the perfect place to help my personal and professional development. So it was easy to say yes and join.

“There is a great culture of rugby in France. The Top 14 is a top-quality championship as they play fast and physical rugby. I really love the approach to the game here.

“Winning the Challenge Cup was one of the coolest moments of my career. And then, in the summer, we, Georgia, defeated Italy.”

Ninashvili is expected to embrace a new challenge next season. RugbyPass understands, since conducting this interview, he has signed a two-year deal with former European champions La Rochelle, underlining his substantial prestige. Indeed, though Georgian rugby was once renowned for forward brutes, not sprightly backs, that is changing. The Lelos have developed a whole clutch of skilled piano players, with Niniashvili at the forefront.

“Just look at the way any of our national teams play nowadays,” he says. “In the past, we opted to play mainly with forwards, but now the backs have also started playing and the game has become more balanced. We will grow even more if we tap into this balance.”

Under new head coach Richard Cockerill, Georgia won 90% of their 2024 games, with the team defeating Japan and falling just short of sinking Italy in Genoa. They are serial Rugby Europe Championship winners and will be overwhelming favourites to retain their crown this year.

“Nothing has dramatically changed in the way we play,” Niniashvili says. “I think Richard Cockerill has a bit of a Georgian mentality. We boldly started taking more risks in games, which worked well. Beating Japan in Japan was not easy, and if we hadn’t made some mistakes against Italy, we would have won there too.

“My goal is to win the Challenge Cup and/or the Top 14 with Lyon this year. And I believe Georgia can qualify for the World Cup quarter-finals in 2027.”