Georgia determined to make World Cup

Georgia have played down reports that a financial crisis could force them to withdraw from next month’s Rugby World Cup, despite the union’s president making a televised appeal for help.

The Georgians had been threatened with ejection from their training camp near Montpellier in France if they failed to pay the bill by Monday.

But a union spokesman said that had no bearing on Georgia’s participation in the World Cup, particularly as the costs of travel and accommodation had already been met by the Australian Rugby Union.

“Those are two vastly different issues. It’s another case of news agencies misinterpreting the facts,” Guivi Kublashvili told planet-rugby.com.

“The GRU has had $160,000 in participation fees so far from the International Rugby Board, but it was hardly sufficient to cover their French debts from the 2003 European Cup of Nations and the current running costs of our Rugby World Cup preparation.

“That’s why GRU appealed to the state authorities through Rustavi2 TV, and as a result has already found benefactors from the business sector such as Coca Cola’s Georgian branch, which has contributed $70,000.”

The Georgia Rugby Union president Bidzina Guegidze was quoted as saying in his televised appeal: “I cannot say firmly that our team will be able to participate in the World Cup.”

But Kublashvilia insisted Georgia would travel to take their place in Pool C alongide England, South Africa, Samoa and Uruguay.

“That our preparations are patchy does not mean that the Lelos will not arrive in Australia,” said Kublashvili.

“Namibia and Samoa have also had similar problems. So why should Georgia withdraw from the World Cup? Why do news agencies imply this?

“We hope we’ve cleared up this confusion now once and forever.”