WADA confirms doping breaches by six Georgian rugby players

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and World Rugby have concluded a joint investigation, resulting in six players of the Georgian national rugby team being found guilty of violating anti-doping rules.

The investigation also uncovered violations by a member of the team’s support staff and employees of the Georgian Anti-Doping Agency (GADA), Caliber.Az reports, citing Georgian media.

WADA stated that it has lost confidence in the national anti-doping program due to breaches of the World Anti-Doping Code.

Operation “Obsidian,” launched in 2023, focused on reports of athletes substituting doping samples. The published report revealed five cases of sample substitution. In addition, GADA staff informed athletes in advance about upcoming tests, and doping officers failed to properly supervise the testing process, representing serious violations of the rules.

WADA President Witold Bańka described the situation as “outrageous” and emphasized that it will have a “shocking impact on Georgian sport and government, as well as rugby worldwide.” He added that investigations in Georgian sport are ongoing, and the Georgian government has already been informed of the operation’s findings.

By Khagan Isayev