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Georgia's spot in Autumn Nations Cup secure despite vice president shooting a player in the leg

file photo taken on October 11, 2019 shows Georgia's players acknowledging the crowd after the Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup Pool D match between Australia and Georgia at the Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa - Georgia's spot in Autumn Nations Cup secure despite vice president shooting a player in the leg - GETTY IMAGES
file photo taken on October 11, 2019 shows Georgia's players acknowledging the crowd after the Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup Pool D match between Australia and Georgia at the Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa - Georgia's spot in Autumn Nations Cup secure despite vice president shooting a player in the leg - GETTY IMAGES

Georgia’s place in the Autumn Nations Cup will not be threatened by an extraordinary incident in which the union’s vice president shot a player in the leg.

According to reports in the Georgian media, vice president Merab Beselia has been arrested by police for shooting Ramaz Kharazishvili, a former sevens captain, in the leg at the governing body’s offices in Tbilisi on Wednesday.

Georgia will be England’s opening opponents for the Autumn Nations Cup in a match at Twickenham on November 14 having replaced Japan in the eight-country tournament. Six Nations Rugby, organisers of the Autumn Nations Cup, confirmed that the incident would have no bearing on the competition. “It is a matter for the Georgian Rugby Union and the Georgian authorities,” a Six Nations spokesperson said.

Unfortunately, having been banging at the door for entry into the Six Nations for many years, Georgia have never been worse equipped for their first entry into a tier-one tournament outside of the World Cup. Their preparations were already far from ideal with the positions of president and head coach still technically vacant since Milton Haig departed after the last World Cup. Several clubs are also in revolt over the lack of funding.

Now they have been plunged into further disarray with Georgian police launching an investigation into the illegal purchase, possession and carrying of a firearm and damage to health. Media reports from Georgia suggest the shooting followed a dispute between the two men with Kharazishvili, who is president of a club side, a persistent critic of the Georgian Rugby Union.

Beselia nor any representative of the GRU has commented on the incident except to confirm that it took place. “Kharazishvili received injuries to his leg. His life is not in danger. All employees of the Rugby Union are cooperating with the police”, Tornike Gogebashvili, acting president of the Georgia Rugby Union, told 1TV.ge.

As many as 32 Georgian rugby clubs recently accused interim president Giorgi Gorgaslidze of sabotaging efforts to create a taskforce to deal with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the sport. They were also reported to have criticised the GRU over how it spent state funding and for the protracted election for a new president of the organisation, having failed to hire one since January due to internal disputes.