March 13 (Reuters) - Six Georgia rugby players and a team official have committed anti-doping rule violations, the World Anti-Doping Agency and World Rugby said on Friday after an investigation uncovered a scheme involving alleged sample substitution and advance warnings of drug tests.
The joint probe conducted by WADA and World Rugby, dubbed "Operation Obsidian", found five instances where players allegedly swapped urine samples to avoid detection.
Meanwhile, employees of Georgia's national anti-doping agency GADA also tipped off players about upcoming tests, WADA said.
The investigation, launched in 2023, also revealed that doping control officers failed to properly observe athletes during testing and did not witness urine collection -- clear violations of anti-doping rules.
"What has been happening in Georgian rugby is outrageous and will send shockwaves through Georgian sport and government, as well as the global game of rugby," WADA President Witold Banka said in a statement.
"I want to thank WADA's independent Intelligence & Investigations team for their diligence and expertise in relentlessly pursuing this operation with determination and professionalism.
"I also praise World Rugby's commitment to uncovering the facts and its willingness to work collaboratively with WADA to deliver this strong result for rugby."
Reuters has contacted Georgia Rugby for comment.
'SCHEME INVOLVING RECREATIONAL DRUGS'
World Rugby said the six players and a member of team support personnel were charged and sanctioned in relation to an "orchestrated scheme involving recreational drugs and sample substitution.
"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 the men's Rugby World Cup 2023 in France," World Rugby said.
Georgia finished bottom of their pool at the 2023 Rugby World Cup without a victory.
The scandal has also prompted WADA to lose confidence in GADA, with Banka warning that "wholesale changes must now be made by the relevant authorities."
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
