Georgians recall Russian ties after rugby triumph

The teams met on Saturday in a European Cup qualifier played in Trabzon -- neutral territory to limit security risks. Georgia ran out a 36-8 winner, but behind the chest-beating before and after the game, the confrontation offered a glimpse into the ties that still bond the ex-Soviet neighbors.

“In a rugby game you can see brother playing against brother. Politics will always highlight those divisions, but you wait and you see that after the game they are still brothers,” said the team’s towering Vice Captain Ilia Zedginidze, 33.

Tensions still simmer some 18 months after Russia crushed an assault by US ally Georgia on the rebel region of South Ossetia in a five-day war that humiliated the Georgian army.

While Georgia is at odds with itself politically over whether to mend ties with its former Soviet master, its people are suffering under an effective trade embargo on Georgian products, visa restrictions and closed travel links.

Many say they simply want normality to return after generations of shared history between the Orthodox Christian nations. Many Georgians live and work in Russia, many Russians live in Georgia.

The country’s political opposition, though split, is trying to gain traction by offering the hope of a renewal of relations with Moscow, something President Mikhail Saakashvili appears unable to do. “We respect Russians, they are no different from us,” said Merab Khunjgurua, 36, who works for a copper exporting company.

“Flowers are blooming now and memories of the war will fade. Things are returning to normal. I can’t understand why our relations cannot as well.”

Old wounds

Politically, there is little sign of improvement. Just a week ago a pro-government Georgian television channel ran a fake news report that Russian tanks had entered the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, causing panic among its citizens.

On Saturday, buses packed with Georgians flooded the Black Sea town of Trabzon, just across the frontier, after 5,800 tickets allocated to Georgia were sold out in a matter of hours. Rugby is popular in the country of 4.5 million people.

The Russian section of the stadium was practically empty. Vladislav Korshunov, Russian rugby team captain, saw no spirit of score settling on either side.

“Today’s game had nothing to do with politics...We played a more experienced team than we are. That’s all,” he said.

 Spectators waved Georgian and NATO flags. Saakashvili’s wife Sandra was among the fans.

If the 2008 war was a mismatch of David and Goliath proportions, the Rugby confrontation was more evenly matched.

The victorious Georgians left the field dressing cut brows and knees. In the capital Tbilisi cars tore down street honking horns and streaming flags from the windows.

But for some fans the game brought back anger. “If the Georgians had even started to lose I would have jumped down on the field myself and joined the scrum. After what they did to us, this is an important matter of pride,” said David Shvelidze, a Tbilisi banker.

Georgia routs Russia in Trabzon to take European Nations Cup

Georgia crushed Russia 36-8 in the last round of the European Nations Cup to clinch top spot in Division One on Saturday. Saturday’s Georgia-Russia match was played in Trabzon, Turkey, because of tense relations between the two former Soviet republics. The Georgians beat the Russians 29-21 in their first clash in Mariupol, Ukraine, a year ago. The Georgians finished with 27 points ahead of Russia in second on 25 points, with both teams having already qualified for next year’s World Cup. Georgia joins Argentina, England, Scotland and a playoff winner in Pool B for the tournament in New Zealand. Russia will play Australia, Ireland, Italy and the United States in Pool C. Portugal finished third on 21 points in the six-team group and go into a playoff to earn a ticket to New Zealand. Trabzon Today’s Zaman with wires