| Beka Gigashvili | |
| Birth Place: | Tbilisi, Georgia |
| Birth Date: | 17 February 1992 |
| Weight: | 118kg (260lb) |
| Ru Position: | Prop |
| Ru Clubyears: | 2015-2017 2017-19 2019- |
| Ru Proclubs: | Chambéry Grenoble Toulon |
| Ru Clubcaps: | 46 36 78 |
| Ru Clubpoints: | (30) (5) (45) |
| Ru Nationalteam: | Georgia |
| Ru Nationalyears: | 2018- |
| Ru Nationalcaps: | 35 |
| Ru Nationalpoints: | (25) |
| Ru Ntupdate: | 16 September 2019 |
| Ru Clubupdate: | 19 November 2018 |
Beka Gigashvili (Georgian: ბექა გიგაშვილი; born 17 February 1992) is a Georgian rugby union player. His position is prop, and he currently plays for RC Toulonnais in the Top 14 and the Georgia national team.[1] [2]
Gigashvilli was a latecomer to the sport, telling Midi Olympique that he had not seen a rugby match until he was 20 years old. Returning from the army, he was persuaded by a friend to join a training session- six months later, he signed for Spartak GM Moscow in Russia.[3]
In France, Gigashvili helped SO Chambéry win the Jean Prat Trophy at the conclusion of 2016–17 Fédérale 1 season. His former coach, Cyril Villain, described Gigashvili as "versatile", "hard-working", and possessing "very good scrummaging" skills. He signed with Grenoble in 2017.[4]
Following the 2019 Rugby World Cup, Gigashvili signed with Toulon, a move he described as being influenced by previous successful spells at the club for compatriots including Mamuka Gorgodze, Levan Chilachava and Konstantin Mikautadze. He made his debut in a 20-13 win against Bayonne in the 2019-20 European Rugby Challenge Cup in November 2019.[5] He made a strong impression in his first season, bringing stability to the Toulon scrum and winning praise as a powerful carrier, including for his first try for les rouges et noir in a 41-19 win over Clermont.[6] Gigashvili suffered a hamstring injury representing Georgia against Fiji in the Autumn Nations Cup, having started in all their previous games in the competition against England, Wales and Ireland.[7] In February 2021, he renewed his contact with RCT until 2024.[8] At the end of the 2021/22 season, he represented the Barbarians for the first time, starting in a 52-21 win over England at Twickenham Stadium and did the same as Georgia defeated Italy 28-19 in Batumi, his nation's first win over a Six Nations side.[9] [10]
Gigashvili began the 2022-23 Top 14 season in good try scoring form, crossing the line in victories against Clermont, Pau and Stade Français.[11] [12] [13] He was rated as the regular season's best tighthead prop by Midi Olympique, describing him as a 'nightmare' for opponents in the scrum.[14] Gigashvili scored a try and was man-of-the-match as Toulon defeated Benetton Rugby 23-0 to reach the final of the 2022-23 EPCR Challenge Cup, before starting in the final as part of a 43-19 win over Glasgow Warriors at the Aviva Stadium.[15] [16]