Former Georgia rugby captain Merab Sharikadze has been handed an 11-year ban for his involvement in a scheme that allowed players to bypass anti-doping tests. Five other national team players were also sanctioned alongside him. Hooker Giorgi Chkoidze has been suspended for six years; Lasha Khmaladze, Otar Lashkhi, and Mirian Modebadze — for three years; Lasha Lomidze — for nine months. Sharikadze, who led Georgia to a victory over Wales in 2022, admitted to providing teammates with “clean” urine samples to pass tests. According to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the national testing body notified the team doctor of upcoming tests in advance, after which the information was shared with players via a team group chat. World Rugby identified anomalies in samples […]
Former Georgia rugby captain Merab Sharikadze received an 11-year ban for his involvement in a scheme that allowed players to bypass anti-doping tests. Five other national team players were also sanctioned alongside him.
- Hooker Giorgi Chkoidze has been suspended for 6 years;
- Lasha Khmaladze, Otar Lashkhi, and Mirian Modebadze — for 3 years;
- Lasha Lomidze — for 9 months.
Sharikadze, who led Georgia to a victory over Wales in 2022, admitted to providing teammates with “clean” urine samples to pass tests.
According to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the national testing body notified the team doctor of upcoming tests in advance, after which the information was shared with players via a team group chat.
World Rugby identified anomalies in samples ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Re-analysis revealed five instances of sample tampering involving Sharikadze and other players dating back to 2019. According to the organization, the scheme may have been used to conceal the use of psychoactive substances.
At the 2023 World Cup, Sharikadze played three matches, Chkoidze was sidelined due to injury, while Modebadze, Khmaladze, and Lomidze either featured partially or were not included in the squad.
The Georgian national team finished bottom of their group, drawing with Portugal and losing their remaining matches.
After retiring from rugby, Sharikadze transitioned to MMA and won his debut fight in November 2025.
