Six rugby stars suspended as chaos rips through one of world's top international teams

Six Georgian rugby union players have been suspended for doping, World Rugby has announced.

The players have been implicated in a disciplinary case related to the use of recreational drugs as well as sample substitution. The investigation began after irregularities were identified in urine samples in the run-up to the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

Five players have already been found guilty of sample substitution, where an athlete replaces their own biological sample - typically urine, but sometimes blood - with a 'clean' sample from another person or a synthetic substitute in order to evade detection of prohibited substances. A sixth player has now been charged and will remain suspended pending an investigation.

A Georgia team official has also been sanctioned for committing anti-doping rule violations in what World Rugby has described as "an orchestrated scheme."

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! All the best sports news and much more on our dedicated Facebook page

• Maro Itoje responds to reports of a rift in England camp after Six Nations shocker

• Massive Six Nations stadium left to rot is being brought back to life in £415m project

The individuals involved have not been named and World Rugby says it is "unable to make any further comment until the full disciplinary (results management) process has been completed and the outcomes and sanctions are published."

It comes at a delicate time for Georgian rugby. The European side are currently ranked 13th in the world, with many calling for them to participate in the Six Nations, having recorded victories over both Wales and Japan in recent years.

They are also set to face Portugal in the final of the Rugby European Championship on Sunday. Georgia are the defending champions, having won the annual tournament eight consecutive times and claimed 13 of the last 14 editions.

World Rugby confirmed in a statement on Friday: "A major joint investigation by World Rugby and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has confirmed anti-doping rule violations (ADRVs) against six players and one staff member of the Georgian men's senior rugby union team.

"The investigation was launched following the discovery of irregularities in urine samples by World Rugby's athlete passport management program, spanning a long period leading up to the 2023 Men's Rugby World Cup in France.

"World Rugby immediately alerted WADA, and the two bodies collaborated closely during complex and in-depth parallel investigations, which included targeted testing of players and DNA analysis by World Rugby, including on historical samples retained through World Rugby's long-term archive program.

"Six players and one member of the team's support staff have been charged and sanctioned in connection with an orchestrated scheme involving the use of recreational drugs and the substitution of samples (a practice prohibited by the WADA Code and World Rugby Anti-Doping Regulations)."

Wada added that it is now reviewing samples from Georgian athletes in other sports. "What has been happening in Georgian rugby is outrageous and will send shockwaves through Georgian sport and government, as well as the global game," said Wada's president Witold Banka.

"This is not the end of the story as further investigation is now going on deeper into Georgian sport," he added. "Wada has lost confidence in Gada's anti-doping program and wholesale changes must now be made by the relevant authorities."

Despite the alleged doping, Georgia finished bottom of their pool at the 2023 World Cup. They were beaten by Australia, Fiji and Wales, but did manage to draw against Portugal.