| Mikheil Babunashvili | |
| Birth Date: | 31 May 1996 |
| Birth Place: | Kutaisi, Georgia |
| Height: | 195 cm |
| Weight: | 115 kg |
| Position: | Lock, Flanker |
| Currentclub: | Black Lion, RC Aia Kutaisi |
| Youthyears1: | 2014-2016 |
| Youthclubs1: | Tarbes Pyrénées |
| Years1: | 2016- |
| Clubs1: | RC Aia Kutaisi |
| Years2: | 2021- |
| Clubs2: | Black Lion |
| Apps2: | 33 |
| Points2: | 20 |
| Repyears1: | 2015-2016 |
| Repteam1: | Georgia under-20 |
| Repcaps1: | 9 |
| Reppoints1: | 10 |
| Repyears2: | 2020 |
| Repteam2: | Georgia XV |
| Repcaps2: | 1 |
| Reppoints2: | 0 |
| Repyears3: | 2022- |
| Repteam3: | Georgia |
| Repcaps3: | 8 |
| Reppoints3: | 10 |
| Clubupdate: | 7 July 2024 |
| Repupdate: | 7 July 2024 |
Mikheil Babunashvili (Georgian: მიხეილ ბაბუნაშვილი; born 31 May 1996) is a Georgian rugby union player who plays as a lock and flanker for Black Lion and RC Aia Kutaisi.
He began playing at Aia Kutaisi as a kid, where his father Guga Babunashvili, who was also a Georgian International, played.[1] After for playing for Tarbes Pyrénées Espoirs in France, Babunashvili moved back to his home town to play for Aia Kutaisi in the Didi 10.[2] [3]
He was named in the initial Black Lion squad for the inaugural Rugby Europe Super Cup. In the following season he was named in the Team of the Pool Phase.[4]
He helped Georgia under-20 earn promotion to the 2016 World Rugby U20 Championship, winning the 2015 World Rugby Under 20 Trophy, starting and scoring in the final against Canada.[5] [6] [7] [8]
He made his debut against Portugal, starting in a 23–14 win. He was called up to the Georgia squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup replacing Lasha Jaiani due a knee injury. However Babunashvili never featured in the competition.[9] [10] [11] In the 2024 Rugby Europe Championship he was nominated for the Player of the Pool Stage.[12]