Georgia ready for URC: Black Lion awaits the call
NEWS: Georgia have made it clear: they are ready to step up to elite competition and the United Rugby Championship could be just the right fit for them.
Interim head coach Marco Bortolami believes Georgian franchise Black Lion has done everything required to join the URC and is now simply waiting on a decision from tournament organisers.
With South African teams already proving that travel barriers can be overcome, Bortolami insists geography should not stand in the way of Georgia’s inclusion.
“There’s the funding, the agreements – we’ve met every requirement the URC has asked for,” Bortolami said. “Now it’s just a matter of someone making that decision.”
Georgia’s push comes at a time when the URC landscape could be shifting, with uncertainty around Welsh participation potentially opening the door for a new entrant. For Bortolami, the opportunity is obvious and overdue.
While Georgian club side Black Lion has gained valuable exposure in the Challenge Cup, and the national team has claimed notable wins over Tier One opposition in recent years (2022 vs Italy 28-19; 2022 vs Wales 13-12), Bortolami believes progress has stalled due to a lack of consistent high-level competition.
“To grow, you need to play the best regularly,” he said, warning that a schedule limited to Tier Two opposition until the next World Cup risks slowing their development.
Despite a shock 17-19 defeat to Portugal in the Rugby Europe Championship final – a match overshadowed by a doping controversy involving six players – Georgia’s long-term trajectory remains upward.
They have dominated the second tier for nearly a decade and now find themselves in rugby’s no-man’s land: too strong for Tier Two, but still seeking regular access to the top table.
For now, the Six Nations remains a distant prospect, with financial and structural barriers making entry unlikely. But the URC presents a far more realistic pathway and one that Georgia are ready to take immediately.
The message from Tbilisi is clear: the groundwork is done, the team is ready, and the door just needs to be opened.
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