Former Georgia Captain Breaks Silence After Ban, Blames ‘Backstabbing’ Teammate
- Former Georgia captain Merab Sharikadze has spoken out for the first time since receiving an 11-year ban
- In a revealing interview, he claims a trusted teammate betrayed him during the investigation
- The scandal, which has triggered multiple suspensions across Georgian rugby, continues to cast a shadow over the sport
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Fresh from receiving an 11-year ban, former Georgia captain Merab Sharikadze has further stunned the rugby world with claims that he was “backstabbed” by a teammate.
Source: Getty Images
The 32-year-old made the revelations in his first interview since the widely reported suspension, telling the Daily Mail that the scandal has left his life in ruins. He alleged that his mother died during the fallout and linked her final days to the emotional strain caused by the case. He also admitted his own wrongdoing but placed strong blame on a former teammate, accusing him of cooperating with authorities.
The investigation, known as “Operation Obsidian”, reportedly began in 2023 and uncovered multiple cases of alleged urine sample swapping within the Georgian squad to evade anti-doping detection.
The former captain, who famously led Georgia to a historic victory over Wales in Cardiff in 2022, received the longest ban among those implicated in the case.
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Operation Obsidian doping investigation details
According to World Rugby, some players were allegedly tipped off about upcoming drug tests by members of the Georgian anti-doping setup. Several players were subsequently sanctioned, including hooker Giorgi Chkoidze, who received a six-year ban, while Lasha Khmaladze, Otar Lashkhi, and Miriani Modebadze were handed three-year suspensions. Lasha Lomidze also received a nine-month ban.
Sharikadze told The Mail that the emotional toll of the case has been devastating, revealing that his mother left behind a message expressing hope that he would return to rugby as captain.
He admitted to interfering with drug tests on three separate occasions but argued that the punishment is excessive, despite refusing to cooperate with investigators in exchange for immunity.
Source: Getty Images
Merab Sharikadze reacts to doping ban fallout
Explaining his actions, he said he was trying to help teammates he considered close friends. He also insisted there was no financial gain or performance advantage involved.
Sharikadze said the sample swapping was informal and quick, but stressed that he now recognises the seriousness of what took place. He added that while he accepts his guilt, he feels betrayed by the handling of the investigation.
“The worst thing is how they received this information. Nobody outside of this circle is involved in this story,” he said.
He further alleged that the teammate who initially provided information ultimately escaped punishment while others were sanctioned.
“The person who gave all the information, who used my urine sample, they let him free,” he said. “Everyone else got caught, including me. I understand I’m guilty. The person I helped stabbed me in the back to save himself. He stabbed everybody else as well.”
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The scandal comes at a sensitive moment for Georgian rugby, with the World Rugby U20 Championship set to take place from 27 June to 18 July. The Junior Springboks will head into the tournament as defending champions after lifting the title last year.
Former England rugby player admits cheating
Briefly News previously reported that A former British and Irish Lions rugby player has admitted that he cheated in a head injury assessment test to get back on the pitch after a heavy tackle.
Anthony Watson told the BBC that he took this step in 2017 during the second Test against the All Blacks in New Zealand, when he was high tackled by Sonny Bill Williams. Williams received a straight red card for the offence.
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Source: Briefly News
