Black Lion

The Black Lion rugby franchise was created in 2021. The franchise is actually owned by the Georgian Federation, which employs the players. 

In 2022, Black Lion joined the Currie Cup First Division. They finished their campaign in fourth, qualifying for the semi-finals in the process. Sadly, they were defeated by Griffons in extra time. 

Following this, the team toured South America and played against the professional sides featuring in Super Rugby Americas. They won every game except one, a narrow loss against a South America XV squad in Montevideo. 

Then, in 2023, Black Lion applied to take part in the EPCR Challenge Cup. Their application was successful and they’ve taken part in the tournament every year since as an invited team. 

In addition to this, between 2021 and 2025, Black Lion also competed in the Rugby Europe Super Cup. In this time, they won all of the tournaments they took part in. 

In 2025, they withdrew from the competition, as they’re in talks about potentially joining the United Rugby Championship in the near future. 

Now firmly established in the EPCR Challenge Cup and with a couple of wins against established teams, Black Lion are putting Georgian rugby on the map. We can’t wait to see what else the team can achieve in the coming years.