The Georgian Rugby Union has acknowledged the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) accusations of doping among Georgian rugby players.
In its statement on Tuesday, the union said it acknowledges the gravity of WADA’s reports, but added that the players identified by the international agency’s report ‘no longer play or work for the national team as of the 2023–2024 season’.
‘It is noteworthy that since then, no national team player or Georgian rugby player has been found or accused of violating anti-doping roles’, the union continued.
‘We realise that the above facts are a serious blow to the reputation of Georgian rugby’, the union said. ‘We have begun intensive work and taken strict measures to prevent similar incidents’.
The union vowed to hold a press conference to discuss the findings of WADA’s investigation upon its conclusion.
WADA’s findings were announced on 13 March, after an investigation, codenamed ‘Operation Obsidian’ found that six members of Georgia’s national rugby team and one support personnel have been found to have violated anti-doping regulations.
‘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 Bańka said at the time, adding that his agency had ‘lost confidence’ in the Georgian Anti-Doping Agency’s (GADA) anti-doping programme.
OC Media
