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Georgia already attract full houses of 55,000 for the visit of Russia and Nijaradze guarantees that would be the case for every Six Nations game. The Daily Telegraph can reveal that there are already advanced talks about Scotland becoming the first tier-one nation to visit Tbilisi. Nijaradze said:

“We are hopeful of finding an opportunity of hosting Scotland and that will be a great honour for us.”

This summer Georgia will host the Under-20 World Champion-ships, which will be seen as another key staging post. Tbilisi already attracts more than six million tourists a year and Nijaradze has no doubts it would be a hit with the travelling supporters. He said: “They will come and enjoy the rugby, enjoy the city and enjoy the wine from the oldest winemaking country in the world.”

Ultimately, Nijaradze just wants to know what more Georgia have to do to prove they are ready. “I can promise you 55,000 spectators for each game,” he added. “Then together with the management of the Six Nations we can build up the commercial arm. We have the full support from the government and the private sector as well.

“The question is: tell us what we have to do? What do we need to bring to the negotiating table? Tell us and we will do it. The country is ready for it. Not just rugby, but the whole country because it is the national sport.”

This is not solely an argument about Georgia’s inclusion but the direction that rugby as a whole wants to take: whether it is content to stick with the status quo or make a genuine attempt to grow the sport by opening doors rather than shutting them.

“If we people talk about rugby’s values then we cannot have double standards,” Nijaradze said. “You cannot run rugby like a VIP club and then talk of fairness and values.”