Mikheil Meskhi Stadium hosted the European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) “Challenge Cup” first game for the Georgian team “Black Lion” in the 2024–2025 season. French “Top 14” team “Van” lost to Georgian rugby players by a score of 22:19.
The confrontation between “Black Lion” and “Vani” started at Mikheil Meskhi Stadium on December 7, at 17:00.
The score was opened in the 6th minute with a penalty executed by Luka Matkava. The guests set the first game, and in the 29th minute, Matkava scored the penalty again. At the end of halftime, Lelo Akaki Tabutsadze scored, and Matkava converted. The first half of the match ended with the Georgians’ victory —with the score 13:7.
In the second half, the score was evened several times. In the 74th minute, Luka Matkava scored a penalty and recorded the final score of 22:19.
Shalva Gogoladze, the first Deputy Minister of Culture and Sports of Georgia, attended the confrontation of “Black Lion” and “Vani“.
Before the match Ioseb Tkemaladze, the president of the Rugby Union of Georgia, and Shalva Gogoladze, Georgia’s first deputy minister of culture and sports, also visited a training session the club staged at the “Shevardeni” fishing base as part of the match preparations. Shalva Gogoladze discussed the club’s intentions with head coach Richard Cockerill and wished the rugby players success in this match.
This win is a significant achievement for Georgian rugby, and the team’s participation in the EPCR Challenge Cup is supported by the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Georgia.
Just a reminder that the “Black Lion” competed for the EPCR “Challenge Cup” for the first time in 2023. After “Vani” on December 15, the Georgian club will face “Scarlets” in Wales; on January 11, 2025, another French team will receive “Bayona” in Tbilisi, and on January 19, Scotland will try to defeat “Edinburgh”.
“Black Lion” Rugby Team
The Black Lion (Georgian Lomi) is a Tbilisi-based professional Georgian rugby union side that participates in the Rugby Europe Super Cup every year.
In South Africa, they participated in the Currie Cup First Division in 2022 as well. Black Lion and the Cheetahs have been invited to play in the European Challenge Cup, which is the second division of European club rugby, in 2023–24.
