"Square" Guide Why the Lelos? 2
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The Lelos of Georgia "Square" Guide Why the Lelos? 2 Georgia National Rugby Side is nick-named the Lelos for a very obvious reason: Lelo-burti (Lelo-ball) is an ancient, free-for-all form of folk football, still alive in the Western part of the country and from time to time, being codyfied and supported by sports authorities Lelo has its roots in pagan times as the ball symbol- ized the Sun, one of the seven cesestial bodies wor- shipped throughout the Middle East Then the game which, by the way, still is a tested form of military training, was adopted by the Orthodox Church to such an extent that the Priest used to bless Shukhuti Temple Priest presents the ball at Easter 2011 a red - the most revered Christian colour - ball at Easter and throw it up to the players Village vied with village, Uppies (Zemourebi) with Downies (Kvemourebi, married men with betrotheds and bachelors, and sometimes teams were selected even on tribal lines, esp in a sea-side town of Poti The goal of the Lelo-burti was to bring the ball to a pre-marked place, that is Lelo. Hence, it is almost by default that both an in-goal area and a try in contemp- rorary Georgian are referred to as Lelo The folk game got its first - written by scholars - rules in 1930s and 40s. According to them, when played on a modern, 100m long pitch, Lelo is a13-a- side contest. The ball is too heavy to be thrown afar Carrying, passing and kicking are unlimited but as in Georgian wrestling, one can only tackle opposing ball- carrier above the waist. Lelo is scored by carrying, throwing, kicking or rolling the ball over the opposi- tion end-line and it counts for a single point 3 How it all started? There have been several quasi-successful attempts to launch rugby here until it finally got foothold in 1959 According to chemistry professor Davrichachvili's recollections, who later fled Bolsheviks to France, in about 1919, during brief spell of Independence, there were three teams in Georgia Democratic Republic. They regularly played on the site of present Vake Gar- dens, just across the road from the Union' Offices Circa 1930 rugby was played by dockers of Poti, a Black Sea town. Then kid, soccer-star-in-making Boris Dynamo - Tbilissi premiers of 1940 Paitchadze used to join them and since then kept such affection to the Game that in mid 1960s was elected as first Chairman of Soviet Georgia Rugby Federation Once Soviet State adopted rugby in mid 1930s, a Geor- gian student, Guiga Dvali was sent to a workshop held in Moscow in spring 1937. Due to bloody purges he managed to found four teams on his return to Tbilissi only three years later and arranged a week-long comp, won by Dynamo which actually was a military unit moved to Caucasus with the onset of WWII After the war, in 1947, a rugby enthusiast Vlad Tbilissi Sports Technicum playing Dynamo Moscow in 1947 Tsyganov of Burevestnik Moscow, hastely essembled a team at Tbilissi Sports Technicum. Georgian stu- dents lost all three games during an inter-city tourna- ment held at Dynamo stadium, and never played again And finally, in late 1950s, a native of Marseille, Jacques Haspekian, who temporarily settled in Tbilissi, formed teams at Polytechnical and Agricultural Insti- tutes and footware-makers Isani. This was followed by inaugural Tbilissi Championship in 1961 and re- turn from Moscow of Guivi Mrelashvili, a founder of first local governing body, Tbilissi Rugby Section Polytechnical Institute - Tbilissi premiers of 1962 No National Side, just Soviet Clubs 4 Mr Mrelashvili managed to stage in Tbilissi first all- Mgueladze, Zurab Kharshiladze, Guela Mikaberidze, Soviet comp, Trade Unions' Champs in autumn 1963. Temur Bendiashvili (player-coach) and David Kilassonia Gantiadi (Dawn) which was a Georgian national side Eventually Aia has emerged from the principal West- in all but name, finished creditable third out of six ern town of Kutaissi. First under Shalva Kurtsikidze Since then all-Soviet tournaments have been held and then Douglas Kavtelashvili, they ruled the roost on annual basis till USSR's dramatic break-up in from mid 1980s, winning three Soviet Championships 1991. From 1970 there were two divisions with pro- in a row and adding a couple of Cups. The team fea- motion, relegation and lately, Top Six/Eight as well tured Nugzar Dzagnidze, Oleg Liparteliani, Bessik Liluashvili, Mamuka Lossaberidze, Misha Kharshila- Georgia used to delegate two or three multi-sport dze, Sasha Natchqebia and was de facto professional society clubs to all-Soviet summit whilst mostly high- school teams served as feeders to them and were Georgian Clubs in Soviet Comps competing in neglected championships of the Capi- Aia Kutaissi Gold 1987 1988 1989 Silver 1984 tal and the Socialist Republic of Georgia Bronze 1985 For alomost three decades Georgia fared admirably at Cup 1987 1990 Locomotivi Tbilissi Silver 1967 Soviet arena. Gantiadi was followed by Mrelashvili's Bronze 1968 1972 1978 1981 Dynamo for whom fly-half Irakli Kiziria stood out. Then Cup 1978 Locomotivi (Railways) came to the fore, coached by Dynamo Tbilissi Silver 1966 Gogui Tonia, Nodar Qipiani and fielding Zaur Gantiadi Tbilissi Bronze 1963 Halfback David Kilassonia launches Locomotivi Tbilissi attack in 1981 * Kutaissi club from the West - Winners of Soviet Cup in 1987 5 Inaugural Test & Joining the iRB By the end of 1980s a lot has changed in the world. It was replaced in 1995 by Borjghali - Caucasian sign The Soviet Empire began to reform itself but crumbled - a rotating cross which symbolizes Eternity of Life instead. Georgian rugby folks pre-empted this inevi- and adorns tops of mainstays in traditional Geor- table outcome and approached on their own the iRB gian houses, arm chairs, sword handles etc from which was trying to convince USSR sports authori- times immemorial ties to allow Soviet Rugby Federation into its mem- First notable success to the re-branded team came in bership and send a team to the RWC, but all in vain October 1996 when former rulers, Russia arrived for the very first time as a national side to play a FIRA In July 1989 David Kilassonia, in the capacity of re- pool game at the National stadium. The Lelos, com- formed Georgia Rugby Union CEO (according to prised mostly of guys belonging to the 'Lost in Transi- Soviet tradition, the Game was called rEgbi until tion' Generation - Guia Rapava, Merab Besselia, Dimitri then) met the iRB Secretary, Keith Rowlands of Oboladze, Kakha Machitidze, Niko Iurini, Archil Wales, and presented the case Kavtarashvili, Guia Guiunashvili, Kakha Alania, Kakha iRB welcomed Georgia's motion but nevertheless Kobakhidze - and coached by Guram Modebadze, took a cautious stance and waited until political won by 29-20, three tries to one developments had made it feasible to recognize This was followed by another epic in May 1998 when former Soviet Republics as separate entities school-boy Malkhaz Urjukashvili kicked four penal- ties in torrential rain, the team repelled Siberian gi- This happened in February 1992 when Mr Rowlands ants' late assault, won by 12-6 and advanced to the issued a decree on behalf of the Board and accepted next round of RWC Qualifiers newly independent Georgia as iRB's 52nd member Union. The fact was conveyed to rugby community via Kilassonia's successor, Tamaz Andghuladze, and al- lowed the Lelos to participate in RWC 1995 Qualifiers By that time Georgia had already played five tests: firstly hosting and defeating (16-3) and then touring inaugural RWC African participant, Zimbabwe, and entertaining Ukraine with whom Georgia used to play at club level since establishment of all-Soviet comps The newly formed selection wore claret (dark red) jerseys with a pair of black and white stripes on the chest. Golden Shevardeni (Falcon) was chosen as a mascot and logo ENC and Antim Cup 6 The Lelos of Georgia have an annual competiton to Official ENC Champions play in: 7-tier European Nations Cup (ENC) conducted Romania 4 2000 2002 2005/6 2010 by FIRA AER since early 1960s Georgia 4 2001 2007/8 2009 2011 Georgia joined the fray at then the lowest, 5th tier in Portugal 1 2003/4 autumn 1993 and drew away with Luxembourg but Informal Annual 6N*B Winners (^ Slam) have relentlessly moved up every season and finished Georgia 6 2001^ 2005 2007 2008^ 2009 2011^ overall 4th by spring 1997 Romania 5 2000 2002^ 2004 2006 2010 Portugal 1 2003^ When the Lelos just missed on the qualification for RWC 1999 Finals, they have still gained a berth in 12 Year (2000-2011) Aggregate 6-team Division One as a reward, and in 12 years Pt% yr p W-L*D$bp enc 6nb slam since then never finished outside the Top Three Georgia 80.0 12 60 46-11*3$2 4 6 3 Albeit Romania was perceived as a leader of the fold Romania 75.8 12 60 44-15*1$4 4 5 1 Morocco 60.0 1 5 3-2 - - - at the turn of the century, now it is Georgia who bet- Russia 59.7 11 54 30-21*3$3 - - - ter their Black Sea neighbours on almost every count Portugal 54.2 12 60 31-27*2$2 1 1 1 Spain 28.0 10 50 13-36*1$2 - - - To spice-up the rivalry, a guilded Antim Cup was Czechia 20.7 6 29 6-23 - - - created in 2002 and is being contested annually on Holland 6.7 3 15 1-14 - - - lines similar to famous Calcutta and Bledisloe Cups.