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Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle have a replacement for Teddy Thomas

La Rochelle's French wing Teddy Thomas (Photo by Romain Perrocheau/AFP via Getty Images)

With Teddy Thomas leaving for Stade Toulousain in the next season, Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle has finally found and signed a suitable replacement with Davit Niniashvili set to join them in June, as RugbyPass had previously reported.

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The Georgian international has finally made a decision about his future and chose Stade Rochelais as his next club. RC Toulon and a couple of others failed to reach an agreement with the outside back, losing the bidding race to acquire his services.

Niniashvili moved to France in 2021 to join Lyon Olympique Universitaire as an academy prospect signing, just one year after making his Test Match debut for the Lelos. He quickly made his way into Lyon’s starting team and would play a vital role in guiding them to their first and only European glory, the 2022 EPCR Challenge Cup.

In the four seasons he spent in Lyon, the outside back scored 25 tries and was hailed as one of the best players in his position, winning several Ligue Nationale de Rugby accolades.

As LOU failed to convince Niniashvili to sign a contract extension, the Georgian was allowed to find a new club, with La Rochelle immediately making a bid to land the 22-year-old. After five months of intense negotiations, a deal was finally struck in the first days of 2025.
Niniashvili’s decision was made based on Stade Rochelais’ chances of challenging for the Top 14 and the EPCR Champions Cup titles. With Nolann Le Garrec also announced as a future La Rochelle player, the club is still looking to add a couple more powerhouses to their ranks.

With the Men’s Rugby World Cup European qualification starting in February, the Georgian firecracker will join Richard Cockerill’s Lelos setup fully focused and ready to help his country add a 17th title to their trophy cabinet.

As reported by the Georgian outlet Free Rugby.ge, Niniashvili penned a two-year contract and will remain a La Rochelle player until 2027.

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fl 2 hours ago
Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

“A succession of recent ex-players going straight back into the game as coaches in their early 40’s would prob be enough to kill it stone-dead. Innovation would die a death.”

Would it? I do think one of the major differences between rugby and most other sports - which we’ve been overlooking - is the degree to which players are expected to lead team meetings & analysis sessions and the like. Someone like Owen Farrell has basically been an assistant coach already for ten years - and he’s been so under a variety of different head coaches with different expectations and playing styles.


“The most interesting ppl I have met in the game have all coached well into their sixties and they value the time and opportunity they have had to reflect and therefore innovate in the game. That’s based on their ability to compare and contrast between multiple eras.”

I don’t doubt that that’s true. But having interesting insights doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be the best able to inspire a team, or the best at managing the backroom staff.


“Wayne Smith winning the WWC in his mid sixties three years ago prob means nothing to you but it meant a lot to him. It took him back to the roots of is own coaching journey.”

I don’t doubt that! But I don’t think coaches should be hired on the basis that it means a lot to them.


“The likes of Carlo Ancelotti and Wayne Bennett and Andy Reid all have a tale to tell. You should open your ears and listen to it!”

I agree! Never have I ever suggested otherwise!

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