Lelo Tbilisi

Lokomotiv Tbilisi and Tbilisi Army are the two clubs Lelo measures itself against, and the meetings with them are known in the city as the Tbilisi derby. Lelo came to that fixture with a claim the others could not easily match: no club has won more in the independent era of Georgian rugby.

The roots are in the Tbilisi sports society Spartak, from which the club emerged in 1969. The name comes from lelo burti, the traditional Georgian game. The colours are red and black.

The title run is the part worth dwelling on. Lelo won the Didi 10, the Georgian top tier, in 2004 and again in 2009, then went through 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 without letting it go. In 2014 the club entered a partnership with the English side Saracens and played as Lelo Saracens before returning to Rugby Club Lelo around 2024. The Georgian Cup came in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

The club has also supplied the national team. Mamuka Gorgodze captained Georgia, won 75 caps and played for Montpellier and Toulon. Lasha Khmaladze reached 97 caps, and Viktor Kolelishvili, with 50, went to Clermont Auvergne.

Home is Lelo Arena in the Didigomi district, a small ground by any standard.