DUBLIN — A scandal has rocked Georgian rugby, with six players facing lengthy suspensions—one for an astonishing 11 years—following their involvement in a scheme to manipulate anti-doping tests. This situation has been labeled by World Rugby as the “most extensive anti-doping investigation ever conducted in rugby.”
The former team captain, Merab Sharikadze, received the harshest penalty with an 11-year ban. Giorgi Shkoidze was handed a six-year suspension, while Rasha Kumaradze, Otar Lasiki, and Miliani Modevadze were each hit with three-year bans. Rasha Romidze, on the other hand, will sit out for nine months.
Additionally, the national team’s doctor, Ntsa Shamataba, was suspended for nine years for reportedly warning players in a group chat about impending out-of-competition doping tests.
According to World Rugby, irregularities were found in urine samples during the 2023 Men’s Rugby World Cup in France. This prompted them to alert the World Anti-Doping Agency.
An independent report summarized that a joint investigation revealed the six players “engaged in an exchange of urine samples to avoid testing positive for a substance they deemed prohibited.” It was also mentioned that a former team doctor had provided advance notice of the testing, and there was likely a broader awareness among staff about this misconduct.
World Rugby clarified that while there was no proof that urine samples were tampered with to hide performance-enhancing drug use, there is “credible evidence” supporting the players’ claims of concealing cannabis and the painkiller tramadol.
In response to these findings, the Georgia Rugby Union acknowledged the misconduct allegations and has committed to implementing a financial penalty along with a plan for various reforms aimed at enhancing anti-doping education and training to prevent such incidents in the future.
