Six Georgian Rugby Players Sanctioned for Doping Violations

Six Georgian men's rugby players and one team support staff member have been sanctioned for anti-doping violations stemming from an orchestrated scheme involving recreational drugs and the substitution of urine samples, World Rugby and the World Anti-Doping Agency announced Friday. The case, which unfolded prior to Georgia's participation in the 2023 Men's Rugby World Cup in France, exposed collusion between national team personnel and officials from the Georgian Anti-Doping Agency.

The investigation began when World Rugby's athlete passport management program detected irregularities in urine samples from an extended period before the World Cup. Officials alerted the agency in August 2023, leading to a joint probe that included targeted testing and DNA analysis of historical samples stored by World Rugby. Five of the players were found guilty of sample substitution, a prohibited practice under both the World Anti-Doping Code and World Rugby's rules, while the sixth faces charges and remains suspended pending the full disciplinary process. The support staff member, described as an entourage figure, was also charged for facilitating the scheme.

According to the agencies' findings,...