World Rugby statement: 'Orchestrated' Georgia doping scheme uncovered

World Rugby have issued a statement confirming that six Georgia Rugby internationals and a member of the backroom staff have been found to have violated doping controls.

The violations were prior to the 2023 Rugby World Cup and included “an orchestrated scheme” that involved “recreational drugs and sample substitution” in the build-up to the competition.

Six players have been charged, with five of the players sanctioned to date. The sanctioned players are still in the appeals process.

The charges relate to recreational drugs, for which there are heavy penalties in Georgia, and the violations include an organised attempt to circumvent drug controls and to substitute player urine samples.

Georgia exited at the pool stages of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, and there is no indication that the competition was compromised.

The initial investigation was triggered when “irregularities in urine samples” were identified by the World Rugby’s athlete passport management programme. RugbyPass understands that historical player DNA from samples held in storage were used in the process of catching the players in question.

The statement reads: “World Rugby can confirm that a major joint-investigation conducted by World Rugby and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has resulted in anti-doping rule violations (ADRVs) being confirmed against six players and one member of the support personnel from the Georgia men’s senior national fifteens team. This confirmation follows a public update by WADA today.

“The investigation was triggered when irregularities in urine samples were identified by World Rugby’s athlete passport management programme, covering an extended period of time prior to Men’s Rugby World Cup 2023 in France. World Rugby alerted WADA immediately and the two bodies worked closely together throughout complex and extensive parallel investigations which featured targeted player testing and DNA analysis by World Rugby, including on historical samples held via World Rugby’s long-term storage programme.

“Six players and a member of team support personnel have been charged and sanctioned in relation to an orchestrated scheme involving recreational drugs and sample substitution (a practice prohibited by the WADA Code and the World Rugby Anti-Doping Rules).

“While noting WADA’s public update, including its parallel investigation relating to the Georgian Anti-Doping Agency, in accordance with the World Rugby Anti-Doping Rules, the international federation is currently unable to make any further comment until the full disciplinary (results management) process has been completed and the outcomes and sanctions are published.

“World Rugby takes all anti-doping matters extremely seriously and is an unwavering champion of clean sport.”