3 weeks ago
The biggest anti-doping investigation successful World Rugby’s history has resulted successful six of Georgia’s men’s squad and a aesculapian charismatic being handed lengthy bans, pinch their erstwhile skipper Merab Sharikadze suspended for 11 years. Working alongside nan World Anti-Doping Agency, grounds was uncovered of urine swapping and beforehand informing of supplier tests being fixed to players.
No patient impervious was uncovered of attempts to disguise nan usage of performance-enhancing substances but World Rugby did find grounds that urine sample substitutions had taken spot to conceal non-performance-enhancing substances specified arsenic cannabis and tramadol.
The investigation, code-named Operation Obsidian, was launched earlier nan 2023 World Cup. Sharikadze received nan longest prohibition pinch an 11-year suspension aft it was established his “clean” urine was utilized connected 3 different occasions by different players successful 2022 and 2023.
Sharikadze, 32, who led Georgia to a celebrated 13-12 triumph complete Wales successful Cardiff successful 2022, earned much than 100 caps for his state and attended Hartpury College successful Gloucestershire successful his teens. He is now pursuing a profession arsenic a mixed-martial-arts combatant and suggested past twelvemonth that teammates had asked him to springiness them immoderate of his urine because he was good known to beryllium a cleanable athlete. “It was arsenic if nan world had swallowed maine up,” he told Setanta, describing nan infinitesimal he first learned astir nan allegations against him.
Nutsa Shamatava, Georgia’s erstwhile main aesculapian officer, has besides been banned from rugby for 9 years, pinch 5 different players receiving bans ranging from 9 months to six years. The Georgian Rugby Union has been charged pinch misconduct and will beryllium required to salary an unspecified good arsenic good arsenic heighten its anti-doping training and acquisition programmes.
World Rugby’s main executive, Alan Gilpin, said: “This lawsuit demonstrates nan value of operating a robust, science-led anti-doping programme pinch coordinated biologic floor plan analysis, testing and semipermanent retention functions.
“Our extended four-year investigation has helped place subversion of nan doping power process and sends a clear connection that World Rugby takes each anti-doping matters highly earnestly and is an unwavering champion of cleanable sport.”
Georgia’s information successful early tournaments, including adjacent year’s World Cup successful Australia, will stay unaffected by nan scandal.
