Six Georgia rugby players sanctioned in doping sample-swap scheme

WADA and World Rugby sanctioned six Georgian internationals and a staff member for an orchestrated sample substitution scheme involving recreational drugs.rte
The joint probe, “Operation Obsidian,” found Georgia’s anti-doping agency GADA tipped off players about upcoming tests between 2019 and 2023.the42
WADA President Witold Bańka called the scheme “outrageous” and said the agency has “lost confidence” in GADA’s anti-doping program.rugby365

Georgia Rugby Rocked by Doping Scandal as Six Players Caught in Sample Substitution Scheme

Six Georgian men’s rugby internationals and one member of team support staff have been charged with anti-doping violations after a joint investigation by the World Anti-Doping Agency and World Rugby uncovered an orchestrated scheme involving urine sample swapping and recreational drugs, the two bodies announced on Friday.reuters

The probe, dubbed “Operation Obsidian,” found five instances where players allegedly substituted urine samples to avoid detection between 2019 and 2023, while employees of the Georgian Anti-Doping Agency (GADA) tipped off players about upcoming tests and failed to properly observe sample collection.rte

An ‘Outrageous’ Scheme

The investigation was triggered when World Rugby’s athlete passport management programme identified irregularities in urine samples collected over an extended period before the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France. World Rugby alerted WADA in August 2023, and the two organizations pursued parallel investigations using targeted testing and DNA analysis, including on historical samples held in long-term storage.talkingrugbyunion

WADA’s report revealed that a GADA manager who received testing requests from World Rugby “had established a practice of providing advance notice to the Entourage Member regarding scheduled testing missions,” who then alerted players and staff through a group chat. In two instances, testing missions were carried out a day earlier than requested and dates were falsified to match the original schedule.the42

Five of the six players have been found guilty and sanctioned, while the sixth has been charged and suspended until the disciplinary process concludes. Neither WADA nor World Rugby disclosed the players’ identities or the specific substances involved.yahoo

Shockwaves Through Georgian Sport

WADA President Witold Bańka called the situation “outrageous” in a statement. “What has been happening in Georgian rugby will send shockwaves through Georgian sport and government, as well as the global game of rugby,” he said, adding that “this is not the end of the story, as further investigation is now going on deeper into Georgian sport”.rugby365

Bańka said WADA has “lost confidence in GADA’s anti-doping program” and demanded “wholesale changes” by Georgian authorities. Six GADA sample collection personnel were identified as present during doping controls when substitution occurred, though two managers and a doping control officer denied the allegations when confronted.sarugbymag

What Comes Next

The scandal lands just days before Georgia is set to play Portugal in the Rugby European Championship final in Madrid on Sunday, as they chase a ninth consecutive title. Georgia, currently ranked 13th in the world, were eliminated in the pool stages of the 2023 World Cup and are drawn in Pool B alongside South Africa, Italy, and Romania for next year’s tournament. World Rugby said it could not comment further until the full disciplinary process is completed and sanctions are published.ultimaterugby