Ex-Georgia Captain Gets 11-Year Ban in World Rugby Doping Scandal

Former Georgia rugby captain Merab Sharikadze has been handed an 11-year ban after World Rugby uncovered an organised urine sample substitution scheme inside the national squad.

The sanctions come from Operation Obsidian — a joint WADA and World Rugby probe — which found five instances of sample swapping. The team doctor, Shamatava, ran it. She also sent advance warnings of out-of-competition doping controls to at least 26 players through group chats.

Six players were banned in total alongside the doctor. The substances they were hiding: cannabis and tramadol. No performance-enhancing drugs were found.

Irregularities in samples were first flagged through World Rugby’s athlete passport programme, covering the period leading into the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.