Georgia’s former rugby captain Merab Sharikadze has received an 11-year ban from World Rugby for his involvement in a urine-swapping scheme, marking the largest anti-doping investigation in the sport’s history. The 32-year-old, who earned over 100 caps and led his team to a famous 13-12 win over Wales in Cardiff in 2022, was found to have provided his “clean” urine to teammates on three separate occasions in 2022 and 2023.
Working with the World Anti-Doping Agency, World Rugby uncovered evidence of players swapping urine samples and receiving advance warnings of drug tests. Although no proof was found of attempts to hide performance-enhancing substances, the investigation revealed substitutions aimed at concealing non-performance-enhancing drugs like cannabis and tramadol. The probe, codenamed Operation Obsidian, began before the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Sharikadze, who studied at Hartpury College in Gloucestershire as a teenager, is now pursuing a career in mixed martial arts. He previously told Setanta that teammates had asked him for his urine because he was widely regarded as a clean athlete. “It was as if the earth had swallowed me up,” he said upon learning of the allegations.
Alongside Sharikadze, former Georgian chief medical officer Nutsa Shamatava was banned for nine years, and five other players received suspensions ranging from nine months to six years. The Georgian Rugby Union was also charged with misconduct and must pay an unspecified fine while improving its anti-doping education and training programs.
World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin emphasized the significance of the case. “This demonstrates the importance of a robust, science-led anti-doping program with coordinated biological profile analysis, testing, and long-term storage,” he said. “The four-year investigation sends a clear message that World Rugby takes doping seriously and champions clean sport.”
Georgia’s participation in future tournaments, including the 2025 Rugby World Cup in Australia, remains unaffected by the scandal.
