A dilemma is often defined as a choice between two undesirable options. It is one word that Georgia seems to find themselves being all too familiar with.
If Georgia is added to the Six Nations, will there be a new serial wooden spoon holder? Or do they keep Georgia in the fray, and potentially let a promising emerging nation wither and stagnate?
Either option is disastrous, especially when finances are also discussed, but a solution may be found at a different level in the rugby hierarchy. Before Georgia can run with the big boys on the international stage, they need to learn to walk on the club stage first.
(Levan Verdzeuli/Getty Images)
Unlike Georgia, all the Six Nations counterparts have at least two fully professional club teams playing in top club competitions. Even Italy, the wooden spooners, have the Top 10, where teams used to earn a place in the Challenge Cup.
Georgia, on the other hand, has no credible professional club team. Currently Georgia has the Didi 10, a semi-professional league contested between ten clubs. This lack of exposure to a professional competition sees the majority of Georgians looking over the borders into the multi-tiered clubs of France, where hopefully they can get a contract.
In order for Georgia to become more successful, they need to create a professional league that would fill the gap between semi-professional and international. Currently, Georgia has a slim bridge between developing their amateur players in the Didi 10 into international athletes.
But how would Georgia ever be able to create a fully professional domestic league? The tiny nation only has a population of 3.7 million, and would have to compete for television with the Georgian Premier League football.
Well, an unlikely alliance may need to be formed by working with their Six Nations B rivals, Romania. As one, Georgia and Romania could establish the Super Rugby of Eastern Europe by cherry-picking the best players from each country’s domestic leagues, and condensing the talent pool into a better quality competition to give players experience.
Georgia could field three professional teams drawing from the Didi 10: one in the capital, Tbilisi, one in Kutaisi (the second largest city in Georgia), and one in Batumi, which has an excellent rugby club already. All three cities have stadiums that the professional football teams use, potentially giving each team a home ground.
Romania could also establish three fully professional teams, but would likely have to make the incumbent Superliga a semi-professional league. Teams could be based in Bucharest, Constanta and Timisoara, which all have teams in the Superliga. With six teams, there could be ten home-and-away games, with two more for finals, totaling 12.
(Photo by Richard Heathcote – World Rugby via Getty Images)
Perhaps even in the future if the league can cement itself and prove its sustainability, then the doors may open to other nations such as Russia and possibly Ukraine or Moldova.
While the Super Rugby of Eastern Europe is a noble idea, it also needs to be a feasible one.
Logistically, the biggest travel distance would be from Timisoara to Tbilisi, 1946 kilometres across the Black Sea. However, in the Pro 14, Treviso to Galway is 1700 kilometres. While this is still a large distance, Edinburgh had to travel 10,342 kilometres to play the Southern Kings in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth).
Distances such as these are always a hurdle, but in late 2019, Georgia signed an 11-year deal to play in the Currie Cup. An agreement such as that shows that the Lelos are willing to travel to play rugby, crossing continents if need be.
Yet you can’t be too optimistic about Georgia’s involvement in the Currie Cup. The extravagant distance to South Africa was one of the straws that broke Super Rugby’s back. It remains in Georgia’s best interest to avoid the lengthy and costly travel times and stay in Europe.
The biggest hurdle for an Eastern European Super Rugby would be the finances. It isn’t a herculean task though. Just look at Major League Rugby in the United States. At first five amateur rugby clubs had come together and grew to nine, and from that a league of seven was born, and continues to grow. Granted, the sports market in the United States is a monstrous one compared to Georgia and Romania.
Most likely, the majority of the starting finances would have to be fronted by each country’s respective unions. In recent years, World Rugby have been more willing to support emerging nations financially. If World Rugby are willing to support the involvement of Fiji and Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby 2022, and a South American club competition through Sudamerica Rugby, then surely they can find a few bucks to toss the way of Georgia and Romania. After all, Bill Beaumont, World Rugby chairman, wishes to grow the game rapidly.
Bill Beaumont (left). (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
Other solutions could also be found. Georgian billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili could also be lured to the table. He was willing to bankroll Georgia’s participation in the Six Nations, and has financially aided Georgia by building training facilities. If the French can have their playboys in the Top 14, can’t Georgia too?
Hours could be spent discussing the logistics and financial hurdles to overcome. So why would the Georgians not simply seek to join an established league like the Pro 14 and forego these problems?
It’s simple. Georgia is not wanted. The Pro 14, who seem to always be looking for expansion in all the wrong places, are more focused on making a quick buck. This year the Rainbow Cup experiment will be on its way. The Pro 14 is hellbent on finding money overseas that can help to match the Premiership and Top 14.
With the introduction of South Africa, it’s easy to see history repeating itself with too many hands in the pot. Look at the Jaguares, who find themselves in the SLAR competition, and the dissolved Sunwolves. In 2017, Super Rugby overstretched to 18 teams across five countries, and now in 2021, the Top 14 is toying with 16 teams in five countries. Surely, history is doomed to repeat itself.
The Pro 14 even considered a North American team before considering Georgia, looking along the East Coast in either Washington DC or New York. The Big Apple itself has more than double the people that Georgia does and would offer bigger financial gains.
A Georgian team would also never be allowed entry elsewhere. The English Premiership and Top 14 are more than happy with their leagues and would not want to give funds to a foreign team. Yet the USA did not wait for the Pro 14 to start a professional comp, and neither should Georgia or Romania. It is in the best interests of Georgia and Romania to start their own league and shape their own destiny.
If Georgia and Romania were to start this league, then what should happen to the European Rugby Champions Cup and Challenge Cup? Currently there are only two options for them: the Challenge Cup (the winner of the now-defunct Continental Shield earned their spot in this tournament), or the newly formed Continental Club Rugby League.
Romania currently have three of their seven Superliga teams participating in the Continental Club Rugby League, but this competition follows a single-round knock-out format too short to help with any real development.
In fairness, the winner of this Eastern European Super Rugby should be given one space in the Champions Cup, albeit in the bottom seed. They would be champions and deserve to be with the other champions. The Top 14, Pro 14 and Premiership would all receive six spots, with the winner from the previous year’s Challenge Cup making the final spot.
(Photo credit Miguel Medina/AFP via Getty Images)
The Challenge Cup, on the other hand, should expand to 24 teams: the 19 remaining Top 14, Pro 14 (excluding South Africa), Premiership teams and the five remaining teams from the Eastern European league. Two 24-team formats could occur: eight pools of three, or six pools of four.
If the six pools of four was the decided favourite, then the quarter-finals could be made of the top seeded team in each pool, and the ninth and tenth ranked team from the Champions Cup, similar to how the UEFA Champions League feeds into the Europa League. This would also allow for a draw, which would keep teams in the Challenge Cup guessing at who they would play next.
Now if things go well, and Georgia and Romania run their own league successfully, then when should they be allowed into the Six Nations? Well, when they earn their spot. They should continue to have games against Tier 1 nations, and when they are able to either beat them, or show sustained competitive score lines, then they should be entered. Georgia would be the best candidate to expand into the Seven Nations. By having seven teams, that would allow a resting week for international players.
Another solution could be a hybrid between the Six Nations and the Copa America, where an invitational team such as Fiji, Samoa, Tonga or Japan could join. These teams could either play every game away or at a neutral venue to grow the game around Europe until Romania could enter.
The concept of an Eastern European rugby competition and an expanded Six Nations is one of wild dreams. In reality a competition like this would be full of uncertainty, and problems to overcome. Yet how long should Georgia and other nations try to find ways to continually develop their players to a high standard.
While a professional club competition won’t instantaneously make Georgia a world-class contender, it can be agreed that doing something is better than nothing. Necessity is the father of intervention, and Georgia needs to invent their own way to develop their players.
woodart
Guest
with all airlines taking a huge haircut with covid, there will be no cheap airfares in or out of sth africa for a while. cant see any rugby comp that has longhaul travel working. that includes pro 14.
Peter
Roar Rookie
Maybe we should let them join Super Rugby.
mzilikazi
Roar Pro
Excellent article, expanionist. And well done producing your first article. Reading very late, but will go ahead and comment anyway. I watch Georgia with interest, and am in awe of the players they do produce. I watched Romania begin their development many years ago now. Saw them play in Belfast, and then in Harare, Zimbabwe. They played a French XV regularly then too. But they have not kicked on, sadly. I suppose for both nations, they are rather unstable, or maybe right now it is fairer to say they are in an unstable region of the world. Also not strong economies. So very hard to build a good national rugby team. As with the Pacific Nations, the big lucrative rugby markets of the NH gives talented players their main route to realising their potential. I fear this will remain the case for the forseeable future.
Kevin
Roar Rookie
The June and November international dates should be combined into 1 block of 7-8 weeks and should be moved to Sept and Oct. Them have a 4 year Rota of RWC, Lions, regional champs and champs of champs. The regional champs in Europe would be 10 teams in 2 groups of 5 followed by semi finals and final at a single host venue. The group's for 2024 would be A: England, Wales, Scotland, Romania, Spain B: Ireland, France, Georgia, Italy, Russia This way tier 2 teams get to play regularly, while keeping the 6N separate.
Linphoma
Guest
Can anyone convince the Turks that Rugby is a legally sanctioned testosterone trip. If we had 50 million - even 20 million Turks nodding their heads to a match. My eldest son is so hairy. I saw him 2 months ago just after his 30th (and my 60th) birthday. Lost about about 10-15 kg since I last say him in 2017 making him a hard package at 1.85m and 110Kg. Brown as a nut. Been demolishing houses in Canada and working on boats in the Whitsundays before coming back to Sydney, buying a Prado to live out of; labouring unloading shipping containers and last heard picking fruit in the flooded Hawkesbury valley. I want to volunteer him to the Lelos. Hairy, hairy man. I love him but he looks like a Georgian rugby forward.
Unders I think Id just like to see the top 12, 2nd tier 12 that was proposed as the world champoins league....Top 24 teams in the world will all be locked in to a constant comp. A 3rd tier is possibly doable as well...
Wayne
Roar Rookie
TE, this is a really good article!!! FYI, in my research I found 63 Georgians playing abroad. 4 in English Premiership, 20 in Top 14 and 39 in Pro D2. Only found 8 Romanians all playing in France, 1 in Top 14 & 7 in Pro D2. I saw all the Georgia matches in the 2019 World Rugby Under 20 Championship because they impressed me and were great to watch. My impression of them is that at that level they are right up there with Ireland, Scotland & Wales. Before C-19 struck Georgia were planning on following in the footsteps of the Jaguares, who played in the Currie Cup (CC) for a few years before they entered Super Rugby. Signing on to come and play in the CC for 11 years is a clear indication of how serious they are about lifting their game. I have no idea how their participation with SA Rugby & in the CC would work because C-19 messed everything up before it had a chance to get going. I suspect the Georgian team would have to play most of their games in SA and maybe only a few games at home. The CC is supported by a broadcast deal with Super Sport for around $25-30m/y so Georgian team would have to play most of their games in SA, or all of them like the Jaguares did. Hopefully this gets back on track in the 2022 season. Also it may be time for somebody to point others in the same direction? IMO, Europe is the next area to be targeted for developing the game but it needs something to spark it into life. From what I have heard, the Jaguares and Cheetahs are on the radar for possible inclusion into Pro Rugby in some way, and also talk about creating a second division. SA Rugby only have top competitions for 4 of their 8 franchises so my money is on a second division starting up within the next 5 years. Possibly include teams from Russia, Georgia, Romania, Germany, Portugal, Spain etc., Argentina (based in Spain) & adding 4 teams from SA. Having Russia & SA in the mix would make it financially feasible and adding SA teams would ensure their development takes place. SA teams could maybe look at being based in Germany for a couple of years to get them interested in the game. These rumors about the Jaguares do not surprise me at all because the ties between UAR & SA Rugby are very strong. The Cheetahs were in discussions with the Russians, who have a well-financed domestic league (with +/- 60 players from SA), but things have been quiet for a while now & the Jaguares recently talking about a base in Spain could mean something is brewing…
Working Class Rugger
Roar Guru
A couple of things. The Continental Club Rugby League has never actually run. It was proposed but apparently vetoed by Rugby Europe. Interestingly, Rugby Europe are apparently working on their own league structure. Which is why they vetoed the CCRL. But no one is overly sure what that will look like. I for one think a franchise league should be seriously looked at. Based around the nations involved in the REC and even extending into the RET. With perhaps the exception of Russia. Not because of some kind of prejudice against them. But because they have their own league that's seeing a fairly solid degree of investment. I'd like to see that continue. That said. I know the Siberian clubs aren't too keen on the current Russian season thanks to the weather. So if a European franchise league were to emerge they may be interested. Anyway, I'd like to see it split into two. East and West. With Georgia having 3, Romania 2 and the Ukraine, Lithuania and Poland each having one. Largely centred around their national teams. In the West they could have two from Spain, the Netherlands and Belgium and one from each of Germany and Switzerland. Home and away for each 'conference' for 14 games. With a top 4 finals series to determine a conference champion who will then contest the Europe Rugby League Championship in a final. WR could help this by assisting with things like travel etc. much in the same way they do with SLAR and will do with the Fiji Drua and Moana Pasifika in SR. Providing players with more exposure to professional structures would help the likes of the REC and RET.
Brian
Guest
Sounds good and keeps a Scotland or Ireland on their toes if they go down to Italy
Brian
Guest
Promotion/Relegation from the 6 nations is surely the way to go. Why not have a one off game between the loser of tier 1 and the winner of Tier 2. If Italy beat Gergia in that game so be it. This is searpate to wheter Georgia/Romania/Russia have the resources to run a professional league which i suspect they don't
AndyS
Guest
I seriously doubt the meaningful bulk of 'European rugby' sees it as any sort of dilemma. Georgia is there, can supply club players, can't challenge the established nations...almost ideal. A lot like the Island nations really.
Drei
Guest
Sherry, the decline of rugby in Romania has nothing to do with the army pulling the players from the national team. Is the collapse of the communism in Romania that stopped the development of rugby there. Communists loved to use the national teams to show their superiority, and the combination of talented players and some communist leaders being rugby fans means that rugby got all the support it needed, and it all culminated in the 80's when România won against Wales, Scotland, France, drew with Ireland, and even gave the mighty All Blacks a scare, I think they lost 14 - 6 but had a couple of tries disallowed if memory serves me right. They were truly an emerging rugby force. But then the communism finally fell in 1989... And general corruption replaced it, and is the same today. One of the most corrupt countries in Europe if not the most corrupt country in Europe. Any money that World Rugby will give România towards rugby development, will simply disappear, with only some crumbs getting to the teams... Unfortunately rugby will never reach it's 80's glory in Romania, ever again... It will only continue to decline.
Puff
Roar Rookie
As a rugby enthusiast who has travelled and spent considerable time in Eastern Europe, the dilemma is the word “perhaps”. Georgia has the same pedigree and profile of all of it's neighbours, a high expectation, coupled with a struggling economy, low wages and a fractured political future. Change remains slow. According to friends who reside in these areas funds are not plentiful, hence the cost of a return ticket to SA is more than an average salary for a substantial slice of the population. Consequently, in my opinion commencing any level of professional league requires positive baby steps. Therefore, a regional expansionist competition with Romania and Russia would create interest. Remember all these nations would receive significant kudos if they toweled Russia and there is nothing like free publicity.
Tooly
Roar Rookie
Sounds like we should be playing Georgia to lift our win ratio.
Muglair
Roar Rookie
All lower tier teams need more exposure against better quality sides to improve and for the game to expand. Professional calendars and self-interest are constricting the game. Progress at RWC level is painfully slow. The objective should be to eventually have 32 teams. We have gone from 16; competitive 8 teams, 4 so so and 4 laggards to 20 where 12 teams are definitely there and thereabouts and the laggards not as far back as they were. I would love to see 24 teams soon, maybe with a Cup and Plate system similar to 7s. More games and playing for seedings to keep it interesting for the better sides.
Muglair
Roar Rookie
The great conundrum. You can't compete with the tier above unless you get used to playing in the tier above. Good example was England v Fiji at the 2015 RWC. If Fiji had more Tier 1 games under the belt they would have closed out the game and won comfortably.
Kashmir Pete
Roar Guru
Ideally, what of European b competition played before 6 nations. Winner has a best of 3 series to decide if they or Italy are nation 6 in the main comp. Then continue, whoever is last in 6n, has ti face up in a best of 3 games to the winner of the following years b comp. Cheers KP
The Late News
Roar Rookie
Wow...what a top read! Rugby is a truly international game. These things need a bit more thought. Thanks!
Unders
Roar Pro
True. But let's be real, Italy would beat Georgia comfortably however woeful they were this year. Georgia are talked about having a fearsome pack, yet in the ANC, their scrum was decimated by England. Their backline depth needs a lot of work; to me it seems their backs are just simply not up to Tier 1 Test status. The solution to improving their rugby is perhaps by allowing Italian, Georgian and Romanian teams to regularly compete in the French championship, which causes another logistical head ache. Having said how woeful Georgia were, they are a work in process and perhaps it is unfair to base their performances on the ANC.
Unders
Roar Pro
Cracking article. It seems that there is a knock on effect- changing Italy's role means you change Georgia's role and then you bring in Europe. Like you've done expertly, you need to realise the whole view of Japan, Americas and the Pacific Islanders who need loving too. On an international level, every tournament needs to be adjusted. -5 nations with removal of Italy or original 6 nations- take your pick financially -Euro nations of Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Russia, Georgia, (Italy if you choose 5N)and Romania. -Americas-Oceania Cup with USA, Canada, Uruguay, Brazil, Samoa and Tonga Expanded Rugby Championship with NZ, SA, Aus, Fiji, Arg and Japan