Confirmed: Richard Cockerill will not lead Georgia at RWC 2027

Former England hooker and coach Richard Cockerill has resigned as head coach of Georgia and Black Lion with immediate effect.

Cockerill, who turns 55 tomorrow, has been in charge of Georgia since the beginning of the Rugby Europe Men’s Championship 2024, when he replaced Levan Maisashvili.

He won two-thirds of his 21 matches as head coach and led the Lelos to back-to-back Rugby Europe Championship titles, earning qualification for Rugby World Cup 2027 in the process.

However, all of his 14 wins were against sides that Georgia were expected to beat and the failure to take down a big name led to a growing sense of frustration behind the scenes.

Cockerill cited a difference of opinion with Georgia RU President, Davit Kacharava, as an underlying factor behind him stepping down.

“I would like to thank the Georgian Rugby Union for the honour of being the head coach of the Georgian national team and the franchise, the ‘Black Lions’, for two years. Ioseb Tkemaladze, the former president of the Georgian Rugby Union, invited me and I personally thank him for this opportunity,” he said.

“In April 2025, Davit Kacharava became the new president of the Georgian Football Federation. He has a different vision for the development of the Georgian national team and I respect his decision. I personally wish him and his team success in their future endeavours.”

“I am proud of my time as head coach of the Georgian national team. I have created a solid foundation for the team’s future and I am leaving it in a better position than it was before.

“Georgia is a wonderful country with an amazing culture and warm, hospitable people,” he added. “I gained a unique rugby and life experience,” said Richard Cockrill.

The Georgian Rugby Union thanked Cockerill for his work and wished him success in the future.

Rugby-born Cockerill is now back on the market and boasts a rich and varied CV.

He spent a year in the England set-up as one of Eddie Jones’ assistant coaches and was interim head coachof the men’s national team in December 2022 before Steve Borthwick came on board.

Cockerill had 23 years at Leicester, as a player and then coach, before taking on the top job at Toulon, Edinburgh and Montpellier.

He won 27 caps at hooker for England, from 1997-99.