RC Aia Kutaisi

Rugby team
Rugby Club Aia Kutaisi
Full nameRugby Club Aia Kutaisi
Founded15 October 1959; 64 years ago (15 October 1959)
LocationKutaisi, Georgia
Ground(s)Aia Arena (Capacity: 4 860)
PresidentGiorgi *Gia* Gorgaslidze
Coach(es)Giorgi Nemsadze
Captain(s)Giorgi Babunashvili
League(s)Didi 10
2023–241st

RC Aia Kutasi is a Georgian rugby union team. Aia Kutasi was one of the best teams of the Soviet Union, holding three national titles, in 1987, 1988 and 1989. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Aia Kutaisi has been one of the best teams of Georgia; they held 10 national titles, both as a Soviet republic and as an independent country.

Honours

Georgian competitions

  • Georgia Championship
    • Winners (5): 1990, 1991, 1995, 2020–21, 2023-24

Soviet competitions

  • Georgia Soviet Championship
    • Winners (5): 1969, 1978, 1982, 1983–84, 1986
  • USSR Championship
    • Winners (3): 1987, 1988, 1989
  • USSR Cup
    • Winners (2): 1987, 1990

Stadium

They share their ground with Ares Kutaisi, RC Dinosaurs Tskaltubo and Bagrat Kutaisi all the side playing at the Aia Arena, which was built in 2015.

Current squad

RC Aia Kutaisi squad for the 2024–25 Didi 10 season[1]

Front-row

  • Georgia (country) Bachuk Baratashvili
  • Georgia (country) Aleko Gigashvili
  • Georgia (country) Gigi Chumburidze
  • Georgia (country) Giorgi Bakradze
  • Georgia (country) Giorgi Kimutsadze
  • Georgia (country) Luka Shengelia
  • Georgia (country) Mate Oboladze
  • Georgia (country) Omar Jangavadze
  • Georgia (country) Peter Jincharadze
  • Georgia (country) Saba Eremeishvili
  • Georgia (country) Sana Khonelidze

Locks

  • Georgia (country) Giorgi Gabriadze
  • Georgia (country) Duba Zibzibadze
  • Georgia (country) Vakhtang Sharvashidze
  • Fiji Sitiveni Iambak

Back-row

  • Georgia (country) Luka Gabunia
  • Georgia (country) Genadu Kudava
  • Georgia (country) Giorgi Nutsubidze
  • Georgia (country) Davit Vardanidze
  • Georgia (country) Ilia Gabisonia
  • Georgia (country) Luka Chaava
  • Fiji Jiuta Nbatrerenga

Halfbacks

  • Georgia (country) Giorgi Babunashvili (c)
  • Georgia (country) Guja Makhareishvili
  • Georgia (country) Davit Kldiashvili
  • Georgia (country) Zurab Khutsidze
  • Georgia (country) Lado Tkabladze
  • Georgia (country) Nika Ghlont
  • Georgia (country) Otar Kldiashvili

Centres

  • Georgia (country) Irakli Simsive
  • Georgia (country) Anzor Saralidze
  • Georgia (country) Givi Kashia
  • Georgia (country) Giorgi Freudze
  • Georgia (country) Luka Chkaberidze

Outside Backs

  • Georgia (country) Emzar Mindiashvili
  • Georgia (country) Otar Metreveli
  • Georgia (country) Temur Kokhodze
  • Fiji Timothy Mbola
Key
  • Senior 15s internationally capped players are listed in bold.
  • * denotes players qualified to play for Georgia on dual nationality or residency grounds.
  • † denotes players dual-registered with Black Lion.

Notable former players

  • Georgia (country) Zurab Zhvania

See also

References

  1. ^ "2024-25 | დიდი 10". stat-rugby-ge.translate.goog. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  • https://web.archive.org/web/20110721025850/http://www.aia-rugby.ge/
  • http://www.rugby.ge/
  • http://www.irb.com/
  • http://www.fira-aer-rugby.com/