Georgia’s Merab Sharikadze gets 11-year ban for role in ‘urine-swapping’ rugby doping scandal

The biggest anti-doping investigation in World Rugby’s history has resulted in six of Georgia’s men’s team and a medical official being handed lengthy bans, with their former captain, Merab Sharikadze, suspended for 11 years. Working alongside the World Anti-Doping Agency, evidence was uncovered of urine swapping and advance warning of upcoming drug tests being given to players.

No firm proof was uncovered of attempts to mask the use of performance-enhancing substances but World Rugby did find evidence that urine sample substitutions had taken place to conceal non-performance-enhancing substances such as cannabis and tramadol.

The investigation, codenamed Operation Obsidian, was launched prior to the 2023 World Cup. Sharikadze received the longest ban with an 11-year suspension after it was established his “clean” urine was used on three other occasions by other players in 2022 and 2023.

Sharikadze, 32, who led Georgia to a famous 13-12 victory over Wales in Cardiff in 2022, earned more than 100 caps for his country and attended Hartpury College in Gloucestershire in his teens. He is now pursuing a career as an MMA fighter and suggested last year that teammates had asked him to give them some of his urine because he was well known to be a clean athlete. “It was as if the earth had swallowed me up,” he told Setanta, describing the moment he first learned about the allegations against him.

Nutsa Shamatava, Georgia’s former chief medical officer, has also been banned from rugby for nine years, with five other players receiving bans ranging from nine months to six years. The Georgian Rugby Union have been charged with misconduct and will be required to pay an unspecified fine as well as enhance its anti-doping training and education programmes.

World Rugby’s chief executive Alan Gilpin said: “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.”

Georgia’s participation in future tournaments, including next year’s World Cup in Australia, will remain unaffected by the scandal.