Georgia

[jim]

So basically same as the Netherland thread, anyone know what's happening in Georgia?

[rhino]

Jim,
I could be wrong but I believe they have been banned from RLIF affiliation for two years .

Something like they chose to play a union tournament instead of last years league World Cup Qualifier .

Am sure that one of the guys on here will be able to clear it up .

[Druzik]

Apr 14, 2008 15:33:28 GMT 10 rhino said:

Jim,
I could be wrong but I believe they have been banned from RLIF affiliation for two years .

Something like they chose to play a union tournament instead of last years league World Cup Qualifier .

Am sure that one of the guys on here will be able to clear it up .

Yeah pretty mcu Rhino... not sure on the length of the ban, but also there was a bit of politics involved. Basically I think the Georgian RU federation stepped in and banned their players from competing and theRL guys instead of putting up a fight roilled over and took it... and then disbaneded... I know a few of the Georgian RL/RU players are in the French RU and RL comps.

[jim]

Ok, come to think of it I think I remember this. Should have remembered i suppose If it's a 2 year ban it should be lifted this year, right? Any plans for competing or domestic comp? Or does RU have a stranglehold on the country?

[Druzik]

With Georgia getting into the RUWC the government there promised a whole heap of things for them. If this will trickle down in any way to RL I am not sure.

Its a problem everywhere that even in the off season if a RU player wants to play RL the RUfedertaions tend to put pressure or bans on them. I have seen this quite a bit in Europe. Its funny the two seasons are in different times of year and its not like any of them are paid, so you cant do this.

[Spider]

Georgia failed to fulfill the WC Qualifying calender when they missed their decider v Russia in ENC B in 2006. Someone told that politics mixed in, anyway they are not in ranking anymore. I don't know about time of the ban, but I know that Georgian RU is under great influence of French RU and the players who played for Georgia were full or temporary RU internationals. For example, Georgia RWC fly-half Merab Kvirikashvili put 3 tries, 6 goals and a drop-goal in their 45-10 win over Serbia. The fact they play with RU internationals is not the sin, of course, but lack of intention to establish kind of a domestic competition, above mentioned "Russia v Georgia case" and probably something more that RLEF knows better than us were enough for them to throw them out from considerations.

I don't know what is happening in Georgia now, but I'm sure that French RU wouldn't let them easily to establish the game there. Georgia is not so large country for two totally independent rugby codes.

[Druzik]

Is Georgis bigger than Serbia? Serbia has two independnt codes or are XV and XIII still linked?

[Spider]

No, Georgia is about 75% of Serbia's territory large (Georgia is almost the same as Republic of Ireland and just a little bigger than Lithuania or Latvia), but its population is much smaller than Serbian (about 40% of Serbia's). Obviously, the density of population is very small, so about 4.5 million people is not enough for the country so good in RU to establish RL independently.

In Serbia, government bodies, development and competitions, of course, are independent. Sometimes, the relations are ill-tempered.
There are more and more players each day deciding to play just RL, but a lot of them still play the both codes.

[Druzik]

Awesome.

Is the Serbian comp Amateur or semi pro?

I really can't wait for the day when countries like Serbia and Russia do become powerhouses in RL.