World Rugby bans 6 Georgian players for urine swapping
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- World Rugby announced sanctions on six Georgian players and a support staff member for a urine‑swapping scheme before the 2023 Rugby World Cup, and said the investigation found no evidence of performance‑enhancing drug concealment but credible evidence of cannabis and tramadol use.
- Merab Sharikadze received an 11‑year ban, the longest among the six players.
- Giorgi Chkoidze was handed a six‑year suspension.
- Lasha Khmaladze received a three‑year ban; teammates Otar Lashkhi and Miriani Modebadze also received three‑year suspensions.
- Lasha Lomidze was banned for nine months.
- Nutsa Shamatava, the national team doctor, was banned for nine years for providing advance notice of out‑of‑competition testing.
- Georgian Rugby Union accepted a misconduct charge, agreed to an undisclosed financial penalty, and pledged anti‑doping reforms and education.
Why it matters: The bans cripple Georgia’s national team ahead of future competitions, while the financial penalty and mandated anti‑doping reforms force the Georgian Rugby Union to overhaul its compliance program, benefitting global anti‑doping efforts and reinforcing World Rugby’s deterrence stance and send a clear message that doping violations, even for non‑performance substances, will be met with severe sanctions.
