Six Georgia rugby players and a team official have been sanctioned for anti-doping violations following a joint investigation by World Rugby and the World Anti-Doping Agency. The probe, dubbed 'Operation Obsidian', uncovered an orchestrated scheme involving sample substitution and advance warnings of drug tests.

Investigators found five instances where players allegedly swapped urine samples to avoid detection. The investigation revealed that employees of Georgia's national anti-doping agency tipped off players about upcoming tests and that doping control officers failed to properly observe athletes during testing.

World Rugby described the violations as involving recreational drugs and sample substitution, with seven individuals charged. The scandal, triggered by irregularities identified through World Rugby's athlete passport management program, has sent shockwaves through Georgian sport and could lead to wholesale changes in the country's anti-doping program.