Dimitri Basilaia

Dimitri Basilaia (born 27 November 1985) is a Georgian rugby union player who plays for USA Perpignan in the Top 14.

Club career

Basilaia left Georgia and joined the Clermont and played in their Espoirs side but didn't break into the first choice side and left for Fédérale 1 side Morlaàs in 2008. He then went onto play for four clubs in Fédérale 1 in four seasons with one seasons stints at Le Bugue, Aubenas and Valence d'Agen. After some good performances for Georgia at the 2011 World Cup he was signed by Edinburgh in 2012 and he became the first ever Georgian to play in the RaboDirect Pro12. He joined Perpignan in May 2014.^[1]

International career

Basilaia made his debut for Georgia in 2008, scoring a try against Portugal and he was first choice during the ENC that year. However after 2008, Basilaia lost his place in the Georgia side as Mamuka Gorgodze changed position from lock to number 8 and push him out of the side and he only made appearances as a sub or in weakened Georgia sides for the next couple of years.

After not playing for 19 months, Basilaia returned to the Georgian side just before the 2011 World Cup in the IRB Nations Cup in June, and he made the Georgian World Cup squad and was one of Georgia's most impressive players during the tournament, starting three matches and scoring a try against England with a surge of the base of the scrum.

Notes and references