WADA suspends six Georgian rugby players, former team doctor over doping violations
Doping scandal in Georgian rugby team
Six Georgian rugby players and a former chief doctor have been suspended from competition. According to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), a joint investigation by WADA and World Rugby confirmed that six players and one member of support staff violated anti-doping rules.
The investigation concerns the period ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup 2023, when the team was actively preparing for the tournament.
The Georgian Rugby Union said it accepted World Rugby’s decision to introduce anti-doping education reforms and pay a fine.
Who was suspended?
The bans range from nine months to 11 years. The harshest punishment was handed to Georgia captain Merab Sharikadze, who was suspended from rugby for 11 years.
Lasha Lomidze — nine-month suspension — use or attempted use of prohibited methods, tampering with doping controls.
Mirian Modebadze — three-year suspension — use or attempted use of prohibited methods, tampering with doping controls.
Otar Lashkhi — three-year suspension — use or attempted use of prohibited methods, tampering with doping controls.
Lasha Khmaladze — three-year suspension — use or attempted use of prohibited methods, tampering with doping controls, complicity.
Giorgi Chkoidze — six-year suspension — use or attempted use of prohibited methods, tampering with doping controls.
Nutsa Shamatava — nine-year suspension — use or attempted use of prohibited methods, tampering with doping controls.
Merab Sharikadze — 11-year suspension — use or attempted use of prohibited methods, tampering with doping controls, complicity or attempted complicity.
What did Georgian Rugby Union say?
The Georgian Rugby Union said it was responding to the decision by World Rugby, according to which multiple anti-doping rule violations were identified within Georgia’s 15-a-side national rugby team ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup 2023. As a result, six players and one member of team staff received suspensions of varying lengths.
Based on these findings, World Rugby also filed a misconduct case against the Georgian Rugby Union.
The union said it had agreed to World Rugby’s decision, under which, in addition to paying a fine, it is obliged to carry out reforms in anti-doping education.
“From the very first day of the investigation, the Georgian Rugby Union has cooperated transparently and fully with World Rugby. Intensive work within the framework of anti-doping education reform is already under way, and stricter preventive measures have been introduced.
The Georgian Rugby Union takes full responsibility for the violations. We are committed to improving the anti-doping process. We support rugby and are doing everything possible to ensure that rugby in Georgia is clean, transparent and fully aligned with international standards,” the union said in a statement.
Context
There have previously been isolated doping cases in Georgian rugby, both at club level and within the national team. As a rule, such incidents involved one or two players and rarely raised broader systemic concerns.
The current case stands out for several reasons:
- it raises questions not only about individual responsibility, but also about possible systemic problems involving oversight, control and internal culture;
- it involves several players and staff members simultaneously;
- it concerns the period leading up to the Rugby World Cup 2023, the sport’s most important tournament;
- the investigation was conducted internationally with the involvement of the World Anti-Doping Agency and World Rugby.
