- Former Georgia rugby captain Merab Sharikadze has been handed an 11-year ban from the sport for his involvement in an "orchestrated scheme involving recreational drugs and sample substitution".
- The ban follows a joint investigation, dubbed "Operation Obsidian", by World Rugby and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which charged six Georgian internationals.
- The scheme involved players allegedly swapping urine samples to avoid detection, with employees of Georgia's national anti-doping agency also accused of tipping off players about upcoming tests.
- Team doctor Nutsa Shamatava received a nine-year suspension, while other banned players include Giorgi Chkoidze (six years), Lasha Khmaladze (three years), Otar Lashkhi (three years), Miriani Modebadze (three years), and Lasha Lomidze (nine months).
- The investigation was initiated after World Rugby's athlete passport management programme identified irregularities in urine samples over an extended period prior to the men's Rugby World Cup 2023, where Sharikadze captained Georgia.
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Former Georgia captain banned for 11 years after rugby doping scandal
