The Georgian Rugby Union and British media giant Future Plc have signed a cooperation agreement to launch the Rugby World magazine, GEORGIA version.
The agreement was signed by the President of the Georgian Rugby Union Ioseb Tkemaladze and the Head of International Relations of Future Plc, Brandon Bester, at the Tbilisi Marriott.
Everybody knows that the first oval ball was rolled in England, the world leader in various fields, with London as the financial capital of the world. As such, for Georgian Rugby, cooperation with such a country in various directions is an honor and is at the top of its priorities.
It is twice as big a privilege to have an opportunity to work with a great company such as Future Plc. A joint venture created by the Georgian Rugby Union with the Rugby Journalists League and Future Georgia LLC will launch Rugby World GEORGIA magazine.
Rugby World is the world’s leading and bestselling Rugby magazine, in the portfolio of the British media giant Future Plc. The company was founded back in 1985 and today combines over 150 magazines and web publications in different fields of interest covering the whole world (https://www.futureplc.com), and now Georgia as well.
The Rugby Journalists’ League was founded by prominent sports journalists Temur Japharidze, Zaal Gigineishvili, Besik Jangavadze, Zura Ksovreli and Luka Chochua. The organization they founded together with Future Georgia LLC, headed by David Samsonidze and the Georgian Rugby Union, will be responsible for publishing the magazine, which will concentrate on Georgian and international rugby news and analytics, for Georgian and English rugby fans, in both languages.
The publishing will be performed at a high polygraphic level, with an approximately 100-page edition being published once a quarter. Its printing and distribution partner is media holding “Palitra Media.” A digital version of Rugby World Georgia will also soon be available.
“England is the homeland of rugby, where you understand the nature of this game best, and for the Georgian Rugby Union, cooperation with this country in different directions is a priority. Future Plc is a world-class brand. Therefore, cooperation with this company is a great honor and, at the same time, a responsibility.
“It was not an impulsive decision to seek and start cooperation with England, we have a lot in common with this great country. Thanks to the famous Georgian Scrum, which is considered #1 in the world, our team was honored to be invited twice by England’s National team for joint training sessions. Also, one of the most successful clubs in Georgia proudly bears the name of “Lelo-Saracens”. “Lelo” is an ancient Georgian game, very similar to rugby, and in translation, it means “end of the pitch, try line.”
“Temur Japaridze, Zaal Gigineishvili, Besik Jangavadze, Zura Ksovreli and Luka Chochua are the people on whom Georgian rugby stands, and their journalistic experience will be useful all over the world.
“I am sure that the bilingual magazine published in Georgia will significantly increase the rugby audience in Georgia and satisfy their interest, as well as play an important role in the international arena – in promoting Georgian sports, culture and business,” said Ioseb Tkemaladze, President of the Rugby Union.
“Many thanks to Future Georgia, the Rugby Journalists’ League and the Rugby Union for this opportunity. It is a great honor for me to be your guest and to meet the Georgian rugby family,” Brandon Bester greeted the Georgian side.
After the end of the official part, Tkemaladze handed over the “Golden Book” of Georgian sports to Bester. The event was attended by one of the founders of Georgian rugby, Givi Mrelashvili, who also gave a memorable gift to the guest.
The meeting was attended by the British Deputy Ambassador to Georgia, Clare Allbless, former President of the Rugby Union Gia Nizharadze, board members and veteran players.
“I would like to thank the media holding Palitra, which has been successfully cooperating with the Georgian Rugby Union for years. This cooperation is deepening and we are moving to a new stage. Rugby World GEORGIA will provide the highest quality printing and distribution both within the country and abroad. Without this support, it would be very difficult for us to implement this initiative,” said Nikoloz Alavidze, vice-president of the Rugby Union.
