Georgia Rugby Team Embroiled in Doping Scandal
Recently, World Rugby confirmed that seven individuals from the Georgia senior men’s 15s team have been sanctioned for their involvement in urine sample substitution over a prolonged period prior to the Men’s Rugby World Cup 2023.
Georgia, currently ranked 13th in the World Rugby rankings, had qualified for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia. They secured their spot in February 2025 after reaching the semi-finals of the Rugby Europe Championship, which will be their seventh consecutive World Cup appearance, a streak that began in 2003.
Sanctions and Investigation
The case involves a prohibited practice under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code and World Rugby Anti-Doping Regulation 21, known as sample substitution or tampering. As a result, Anti-Doping Rule Violation Sanctions have been imposed on the players and support personnel, including Giorgi Chkoidze, Lasha Khmaladze, Merab Sharikadze, Miriani Modebadze, Otar Lashkhi, Lasha Lomidze, and Dr Nutsa Shamatava.
These suspensions, which range from nine months to 11 years, are backdated to include the provisional suspensions issued to all individuals upon charge, resulting in a complete suspension from all rugby activities. A full summary of the sanctions can be found online.
Parallel Investigation and Findings
A parallel investigation between World Rugby and WADA was triggered when irregularities in urine samples were identified by World Rugby’s athlete passport management programme prior to the Men’s Rugby World Cup 2023 in France. The investigation, which featured targeted player testing and DNA analysis, revealed no evidence to support the use of performance-enhancing substances.
However, there was credible evidence to support the players’ assertions that the urine sample substitutions occurred to conceal the use of non-performance-enhancing substances, such as cannabis and tramadol.
World Rugby also commissioned an independent enquiry into the actions of the Georgia Rugby Union, which found that while there are no grounds for the Union having a case to answer under World Rugby Regulation 21, the fact that players and staff wilfully failed to comply with their anti-doping obligations brings the game into disrepute under Regulation 18.5.
Response and Reforms
World Rugby welcomes the Union’s proactive approach to assisting with investigations and determining a roadmap of preventative measures. A summary of the independent report can be found online.
World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin stated, “This case demonstrates the importance of operating a robust, science-led anti-doping programme with coordinated biological profile analysis, testing and long-term storage functions. Our extensive four-year investigation has helped identify subversion of the doping control process and sends a clear message that World Rugby takes all anti-doping matters extremely seriously and is an unwavering champion of clean sport.”
