Georgia women's national rugby union team
| Nickname | Lady Lelos | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Emblem | Borjgali | ||
| Union | Georgian Rugby Union | ||
| Head coach | Jaba Malaguradze | ||
| Captain | Teona Chitaishvili | ||
| Top scorer | Manoni Sagaradze (first-ever try) | ||
| |||
| World Rugby ranking | |||
| Current | 33 (as of 1 December 2025) | ||
| First international | |||
| Georgia 5–47 Kazakhstan (18 April 2025) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
| Romania 0–43 Georgia (22 November 2025) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
| Georgia 5–47 Kazakhstan (24 April 2025) | |||
| Website | Georgian Rugby Union | ||
The Georgia women's national rugby union team represents Georgia in women's international rugby union. They are governed by the Georgian Rugby Union and played their first international match in 2025. The team is nicknamed the Lady Lelos, following the tradition of the Georgian men's team.
History
The Georgian women's team played their first international test match on 18 April 2025, against Kazakhstan at Aia Arena in Kutaisi, Georgia.[1][2] They lost 47–5, the match marked a milestone, with winger Manoni Sagaradze scoring the team’s first-ever try in the 26th minute.[1] The second test was played on 24 April, ending in a 32–0 defeat.[2]
Head coach Jaba Malaguradze, who was previously in charge of the national sevens side, was tasked with building the foundation of the 15s program, aiming to integrate the team into the Rugby Europe Women's Championship pathway.[2]
Team nickname
The team is known as the Lady Lelos, a reference to the traditional Georgian game Lelo burti and the nickname of the men's national side. They use the Borjgali symbol as their emblem, consistent with the men's team.
Development and future
The growth of women's rugby in Georgia has faced cultural and structural barriers.[3] However, with support from the Georgian Rugby Union and figures such as Ana Poghosian and development officer Natalie Kurtanidze, the women’s game is gaining momentum. The debut of the 15s side in 2025 marks a commitment to long-term development, with aspirations to qualify for European-level tournaments and eventually global competition.
Lady Lelos are participating in the 2025–26 Rugby Europe Women's Conference competition.[4][5] They recorded their biggest win when they defeated Romania 43–0 in the opening match of the tournament.[5]
Results
Below is a summary of test matches played by Georgia, updated to 22 November 2025
| Opponent | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kazakhstan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 77 |
| Romania | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 0 |
| Total | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 48 | 77 |
Full internationals
| Won | Lost | Draw |
| Test | Date | Opponent | PF | PA | Venue | Event | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2025-04-18 | Kazakhstan | 5 | 47 | Aia Arena, Kutaisi, Georgia | Test | [1][2] |
| 2 | 2025-04-24 | Kazakhstan | 0 | 32 | Kutaisi, Georgia | Test | [2] |
| 3 | 2025-11-22 | Romania | 43 | 0 | CSN Elisabeta Lipa, Romania | 2025–26 REC |
Coaching staff
- Head coach: Jaba Malaguradze
- Captain: Teona Chitaishvili.[2]
See also
- Georgia national rugby union team
- Rugby union in Georgia (country)
- Rugby Europe Women's Sevens
- Rugby Europe Women's Championship
References
- ^ a b c "Historic Debut for Georgian Women's Rugby Team in 15-aside Match Against Kazakhstan". Rugby Europe. 22 April 2025. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b c d e f Isaac, Francisco (29 April 2025). "A historic moment: Georgia Women's first ever 15s Test match". www.rugbypass.com. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Georgia Rugby Union backing the empowerment of women and girls in sport". UN Women – Georgia. 6 October 2022. Archived from the original on 23 April 2024. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
- ^ "15-ქალას ისტორია რუმინეთიდან იწყება". rugby.ge (in Georgian). 21 November 2025. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b "15-ქალა | დიდი უპირატესობით რუმინეთთან". rugby.ge (in Georgian). 23 November 2025. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)