Georgia Rugby lose 225 caps of experience in one fell swoop

Georgia has bid farewell to centurions Shalva Mamukashvili and Aleksandr Todua, as both have officially retired from Test match duties. For several years, the hooker and winger played pivotal roles for the Lelos, helping the Eastern European country become the main side in the Emerging Nations scene.

Todua debuted for the Georgian national team in 2008 against the Czech Republic and was a key figure in his country’s qualification for the 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cups. The winger is one of the few players to have featured in four World Cups, scoring two tries against Uruguay and Australia in 2019.

To date, he remains the Georgian player with the most titles in the Men’s Rugby Europe Championship, having been involved in 15 successful campaigns. The 38-year-old briefly played in France, representing Albi between 2012 and 2014, spending the majority of his professional career in Georgia.

Todua retires with 122 international caps, matching Davit Kacharava’s record and sharing the title of most-capped player with the current president of the Georgian rugby federation.

As for Shalva Mamukashvili, the hooker began his Test match career in 2012 and went on to complete 103 caps for his country. Unlike Todua, Mamukashvili represented several clubs outside Georgia, including Sale Sharks, Leicester Tigers, Montpellier, Toulon, Carcassonne and Glasgow Warriors.

After more than 11 years as an international, Mamukashvili featured for the last time in Georgia’s closing game of the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Due to a knee injury, he spent most of the last two years on the injured list and was unable to play his final international game on the pitch.

Among their most celebrated achievements as Lelos, Todua and Mamukashvili helped Georgia defeat Wales 12-11 at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium in 2021.

The former Lelos were honoured before the Georgia match in the Men’s Rugby Europe Championship semi-finals, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd at Avchala Rugby Stadium.