{"id":294446,"date":"2023-09-29T16:34:19","date_gmt":"2023-09-29T16:34:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/?p=294446"},"modified":"2023-09-29T16:34:19","modified_gmt":"2023-09-29T16:34:19","slug":"davit-niniashvili-is-georgian-rugbys-face-but-you-might-not-know-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/rugby-union\/davit-niniashvili-is-georgian-rugbys-face-but-you-might-not-know-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Davit Niniashvili is Georgian rugby&apos;s face but you might not know it"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>Davit Niniashvili is the face of Georgian rugby and a superstar of France&#8217;s Top 14&#8230;his rise matches the ambitions of the upcoming nation and the World Cup is just the tip of the iceberg<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Davit Niniashvili is already emerging as one of world rugby&#8217;s rising stars<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>The Georgian has huge ambitions with the national team and in club rugby<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Niniashvili might not have been here but for a chance at the age of eight<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Davit Niniashvili would not be the face of Georgian rugby, a superstar of France\u2019s TOP 14, and one of the most exciting young players in his sport had fate not intervened.<\/p>\n<p>When he was just eight and at school in Tbilisi, Davit Tskhvediani from the city\u2019s Khvamli rugby club was doing the rounds looking for young players interested in taking up a new sport.<\/p>\n<p>Niniashvili jumped at the chance when Tskhvediani \u2013 who eventually turned into his first coach \u2013 came knocking in the Georgian capital. It was the day Niniashvili\u2019s life changed for the better and forever.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018When I started playing, Khvamli was just a little team. Now, it is in the first league of Georgian rugby so I\u2019m proud of them,\u2019 Niniashvili tells MailSport. \u2018I tried every sport growing up \u2013 football, basketball and, like every Georgian, judo. Then I focused on rugby.\u2019 It proved to be a wise decision.<\/p>\n<p>Still only 21, Niniashvili has risen quickly through the ranks of Georgian rugby. In 2021, he signed for Lyon in France\u2019s top division. It means in many ways, the current World Cup in which he is participating is a home tournament.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/09\/29\/16\/75982903-12575993-image-a-1_1696001295895.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Davit Niniashvili (left) is the rising star of the Georgian rugby team and carrying the weight of the nation<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/09\/29\/16\/75982917-12575993-image-a-2_1696001302714.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Georgia are a hugely ambitious nation but have endured a difficult Rugby World Cup so far<\/p>\n<p>Niniashvili has already helped Lyon win the Challenge Cup. His ability at either full-back or on the wing was so obvious that he made his senior Georgian Test debut aged just 18 against Ireland in the autumn of 2020. It is not just rugby where his talents lie either.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I like cooking and Georgian cuisine \u2013 especially khachapuri and pkhali,\u2019 Niniashvili says. \u2018I like to try and cook it with my girlfriend. It looks ugly and not like in the restaurants but it tastes just as good!\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As a fleet-footed back, Niniashvili doesn\u2019t indulge in khachapuri \u2013 a luxurious, traditional Georgian dish of cheese-filled bread \u2013 too often. Niniashvili\u2019s speed and dexterity are his greatest assets. \u2018After joining Khvamli, I had more of an interest in rugby and I watched games,\u2019 he adds.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I watched my idol Israel Folau. Sadly, he is missing this World Cup. I wanted to see him live. Firstly, it was so surprising for me just to play in the national team and then to have everybody\u2019s attention. \u2018I think I am giving a good example to the younger players in Georgia that they too can play good rugby at international level.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I am proud to be Georgian and to be able to represent the country on the world stage is a big thing for me. Georgia is a small country.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018But we want to show the world we can do a lot of good things like the bigger nations. The World Cup is my dream and dreams come true. I give everything I have to get my dreams.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>A hugely ambitious rugby nation, Georgia beat both Italy and Wales in 2022 to show why they should seriously be considered for a place in the Six Nations and at rugby\u2019s top table. Both of those famous victories were inspired by Niniashvili. The World Cup to date has been frustrating for Georgia. An opening loss to Australia was perhaps no surprise, but that Paris clash could have been very different.<\/p>\n<p>When Niniashvili soared through midfield after a slow Georgian first half, a try for his team looked certain. But Niniashvili\u2019s pass found the hands of Australian prop Taniela Tupou and Ben Donaldson was in support to race away to score a crucial Wallaby try. It was a crucial, game-defining moment. In round two, Georgia were held to an 18-18 draw by Portugal so are still without a win.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/09\/29\/16\/75983373-12575993-image-a-13_1696002678255.jpg\" height=\"497\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>At just 21-years-old,\u00a0Niniashvili made his Test debut aged just 18 against Ireland in the autumn of 2020<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/09\/29\/16\/75982895-12575993-image-a-3_1696001319485.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Niniashvili has starred at both\u00a0full-back or on the wing and is already a star in the making<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/09\/29\/16\/75982857-12575993-image-a-5_1696001326795.jpg\" height=\"496\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>But despite his status in world rugby,\u00a0Niniashvili admits he is rarely recognised when out in public<\/p>\n<p>On Saturday, they face Fiji in Bordeaux. A Pacific Island victory would seal their place in the quarter-finals and knock out Eddie Jones\u2019 Wallabies. \u2018It\u2019s like playing at home for me,\u2019 Niniashvili says of his first World Cup. \u2018We don\u2019t play in Lyon but every French supporter knows our name and how we play. This is important for us. We want the supporters to cheer for us.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Given his growing status as a star of both Lyon\u2019s and Georgia\u2019s sides, it seems pertinent to ask whether Niniashvili gets recognised wandering the streets of France. \u2018No, not too much really,\u2019 he says. \u2018After the game, everyone knows I play for Georgia but in the street or at a restaurant, no-one knows. Lyon is a big city. That\u2019s why they don\u2019t recognise me.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Football is their first sport. It\u2019s nice.\u2019 Georgia\u2019s press officer, who is listening in and occasionally helping with translation, interjects. \u2018In Georgia he is recognised,\u2019 she insists. \u2018But there, people do not stop you in the street. The culture is different.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Niniashvili responds: \u2018She\u2019s lying! I know because I live in Lyon and I\u2019ve played there for two years. \u2018After the match everyone knows I am Niniashvili but no-one knows before.\u2019<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/09\/29\/16\/75983043-12575993-image-a-6_1696001351177.jpg\" height=\"440\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Niniashvili has already helped Lyon win the Challenge Cup and has huge ambitions for the future<\/p>\n<p>Georgian rugby is known for its giant forwards and brutal scrummagers, but in Niniashvili and wing Aka Tabutsadze, the Lelos now have expansive backs who are a joy to watch.<\/p>\n<p>Georgia\u2019s game with Fiji should be hugely entertaining as Levan Maisashvili\u2019s side looks to continue their rugby progression.\u2018Expectations have got really high outside but it\u2019s the same in the team. We try to make these expectations true at the World Cup,\u2019 Niniashvili said.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Levan\u2019s usual message is not to worry a lot about mistakes but just to focus on the next job. Rugby is 80 minutes. If I do a mistake after 10 minutes, I can do some magic after 20 or 30!<\/p>\n<p>\u2018The supporters give us energy everywhere we go. When we beat Wales, there were many Georgian supporters in Cardiff. It was so amazing. It\u2019s been my dream to play in the TOP14 and for Georgia. \u2018My last dream is to play Super Rugby but we will see how my career changes.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/sport\/rugbyunion\/article-12575993\/Davit-Niniashvili-Georgia-rugby-world-cup.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Davit Niniashvili is the face of Georgian rugby and a superstar of France&#8217;s Top 14&#8230;his rise matches the ambitions of <span class=\"more-text\">&hellip;<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":294445,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Davit Niniashvili is Georgian rugby&amp;apos;s face but you might not know it - 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