In a stunning development that has sent shockwaves through the rugby world, former Georgia captain Merab Sharikadze has been handed an 11-year ban from sport for orchestrating a sophisticated scheme to cheat anti-doping tests. The 30-year-old, who famously led the Lelos to a historic victory over Wales in Cardiff in 2022, admitted to providing "clean" urine samples to teammates in what World Rugby believes was an attempt to conceal recreational drug use.
The investigation, led by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), uncovered a troubling pattern of misconduct involving multiple players and team staff. Alongside Sharikadze, hooker Giorgi Chkoidze received a six-year ban, while Lasha Khmaladze, Otar Lashkhi, and Miriani Modebadze were each suspended for three years. Lasha Lomidze, who had brief stints with English clubs London Irish and Doncaster, received a lighter nine-month ban.
The scheme was alarmingly well-organized. According to findings, Georgia's national testing authority would tip off team doctor Nutsa Shamatava about upcoming tests, who then shared the information through a team group chat. This allowed players to substitute their samples, a ploy that dated back to 2019. World Rugby flagged anomalies in samples collected before the 2023 Rugby World Cup, and subsequent retesting of historical samples revealed five instances of sample substitution involving Sharikadze and five other players.
The scandal casts a shadow over Georgia's 2023 World Cup campaign, where they finished bottom of their pool with a single draw against Portugal and three losses. Sharikadze played in three pool matches, while Modebadze started against Australia before being replaced by Lashkhi due to injury. Chkoidze withdrew from the tournament just before it began, citing a warm-up injury. Khmaladze started at full-back in the defeat to Wales in Nantes.
Sharikadze, who retired from rugby shortly after the tournament, has since transitioned to mixed martial arts, winning his debut bout in November 2025. However, this ban effectively ends his involvement in professional sport for the foreseeable future. For Georgia rugby, still smarting from their World Cup exit, this is a devastating blow to their reputation—and a stark reminder that no team is above the rules.