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Wales Online

Sport

John Jones

France v Scotland referee Nika Amashukeli, the star of Georgian rugby who was stabbed after a game went wrong

Nika Amashukeli Rugby France Scotland Georgia Wales Ireland IRFU

Scotland continue their quest for an unprecedented Grand Slam as they face a wounded France side in Paris in the third round of the 2023 Six Nations.

Gregor Townsend's team have performed brilliantly so far this championship, outplaying Wales to claim a record home win against them at Murrayfield a week after beating England in the Calcutta Cup for the third consecutive time, picking up bonus point wins in both clashes.

Meanwhile France, who were expected to go head to head with Ireland for this year's Grand Slam, have been left licking their wounds after losing out to the world number ones in Dublin a fortnight ago. They will be looking to get their campaign back on track after also squeezing past an impressive Italy side in the opening round.

The man overseeing proceedings at the Stade de France this weekend is Nika Amashukeli. Just 28, the Georgian official is one of the rising stars in his field and is tipped to be selected for this year's Rugby World Cup, despite only watching his first game of rugby as a teenager.

But who is he and what can France and Scotland expect from his officiating? Here's what you need to know:

Who is Nika Amashukeli?

Born in Tbilisi in 1994, Amashukei was a football fan as a child but started playing rugby aged 11. He watched his first ever full rugby match on TV during the 2007 Rugby World Cup when his father "literally forced" him to watch Ireland v Georgia. As he witnessed his country come within one score of a famous upset, as he told the Telegraph in a recent interview, he became "hooked" on rugby.

Playing at flanker before becoming a "crash ball centre," he represented Georgia at U17, U18 and U19 levels and was selected for the squad for the 2012 European Under-18 Rugby Union Championship. However, his playing days were soon over, as by the age of 20 he had already suffered five concussions, broken an ankle and developed a knee problem. Struggling with injuries and his mental health, he decided to retire from playing.

His love for the game, lingered, however, and feeling like he was too young to move into coaching, he decided to move into refereeing. In 2013, the Georgian Rugby Union enrolled in a programme aimed at improving the standard of Georgian referees and developed a relationship with the IRFU. This saw Georgian referees, including Amashukeli, attend IRFU workshops and officiate All-Ireland League matches.

His first game as a referee saw him take charge of an U12s game and it was one that he admits he will "never forget". He said: “I was completely lost. At one point, I actually ended up standing in the inside-centre channel, forgetting I was the ref. It was embarrassing. Parents were not happy. I just apologised and said it was my first match. I realised then that it was a hugely challenging profession."

Amashukeli made his Test debut as a referee in 2015 as he officiated the first half of Montenegro v Estonia in European Nations Cup Third Division match. He went on to referee at the 2019 World U20 Championship in Argentina and worked alongside his idol Wayne Barnes during the 2020 Autumn Nations Cup.

He became the first Georgian to referee a tier one game when he took charge of Wales v Canada in July 2021 and he went on to oversee Ireland v Japan, Barbarians v Tonga and Wales v Australia in the autumn internationals. His first Six Nations game came last year as Ireland thrashed Italy in Dublin.

Amashukeli's impressive performances mean he is tipped to referee at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, 16 years after watching the 2007 tournament and falling in love with the game he is now excelling in.

Why was he stabbed after a game?

However, it has not been an easy journey for the Georgian whose refereeing career was nearly ended in traumatic circumstances when a game he took charge of in 2016 descended into violence after the full-time whistle.

The game in Georgian's top tier, the Didi 10, had seen Armia grab a dramatic late draw against Batumi, with a miscommunication between Amashukeli and the Batumi captain causing them to let the game slip through their fingers.

“There was no official timekeeping – referees controlled the time,” Amashukeli told Telegraph Sport. "I said to one of the team captains that four minutes were remaining but he misheard me and thought I’d said two minutes. They kicked the ball out after two minutes but I didn’t end the game – as there were two minutes left. Then the other team caught the line-out, won a penalty, and kicked it to draw the match.

“The home team exploded and accused me of cheating. When the supporters saw their players getting emotional and throwing their hands up in the air, they became very emotional and started swearing.”

But it didn't end there. “It was an emotional match,” he added. “After I left the pitch, there was a lot of abuse and swearing and the supporters followed. There was a big scuffle but the adrenaline was rushing through me. Someone had a knife. Suddenly, I felt something in my leg. I looked down, blood was pouring out. I had been stabbed."

The perpetrator has never been found. Amashukeli, meanwhile, debated turning his back on the game following the incident, but he went on to make a full recovery and become the shining light of Georgian rugby, with a bright future still ahead of him.