Sunwolves announce first Georgian to play Super Rugby

The Sunwolves have named their squad for the 2018 Super Rugby season, and there are a few familiar and interesting names.

49-test hooker Jaba Bregvadze will become the first Georgian to play in Super Rugby, the latest move in a career that has seen him play at Toulon, Worcester and lately Russian outfit Krasny Yar.

Bregvadze is a veteran of Georgia's last two World Cup campaigns, in 2011 and 2015. New Sunwolves coach Jamie Joseph is excited to have him on board, as per the Japan Times.

“One of our biggest work-ons is the set piece so it’s great we have the leader of the Georgian scrum and line-out, as we know how strong they are,” Joseph said of the 30-year-old Bregvadze.

Joseph has also enlisted the help of a couple of former Highlanders, the team he took to a Super Rugby title in 2015. Former Maori All Black utility back Robbie Robinson and first five Hayden Parker will turn out for the Sunwolves, to give them some much-needed experience.

Robinson has been playing in the Japan Top League for Ricoh and Toyota after leaving NZ in 2014. Parker has also had a short stint with Panasonic, however has spent the majority of his Super Rugby career sitting on the bench behind Lima Sopoaga at the Highlanders.

Other new faces include South Africans Ruan Smith, Craig Millar, Grant Hattingh and Gerhard van den Heever, and Japan test player and former Chief Michael Leitch.

Sunwolves squad for 2018: Keita Inagaki, Asaeli Aivalu, Jiwon Koo, Ruan Smith, Craig Millar, Jaba Bradvadze, Shota Horie, Grant Hattingh, Sam Wykes, Kazuki Imeno, Uwe Helu, Edward Quirk, Shunsuke Nunomaki, Wimpie van der Walt, Willem Britz, Michael Leitch, Fumiaki Tanaka, Yu Tamura, Hayden Parker, Harumichi Tatekawa, Timoth Lafaele, Gerhard van den Heever, Kenki Fukuoka, Akihit Yamada, Lamano Lava Lemeki, Robbie Robinson.