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Wasps release statement as Ashley Johnson 'provisionally suspended' pending RFU investigation
Premiership club Wasps have been rocked by the news that Ashley Johnson has failed a drugs test.
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A statement from the club read “The club is aware that a prohibited substance was reportedly found in an out-of-competition doping control sample provided by Ashley Johnson on February 7 2018.”
“He has been provisionally suspended by the RFU pending final determination of the matter and is therefore currently unavailable for selection.”
“Ashley is currently investigating the possible source of the substance and both he and the club are co-operating fully with the RFU in this respect.”
“We are fully supportive of him in this process but are unable to comment any further at this stage due to the confidentiality of legal proceedings.”
South African-born Johnson joined the Premiership club in the summer of 2012 from Super Rugby side the Free State Cheetahs, whom he’d played for since 2006.
He has played 22 times this season for Dai Young’s side, scoring five tries – his last appearance for the club was in a 24-16 win over London Irish on March 4th
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The 112kg 6’1″ backrow has earned three caps for the Springboks.
Johnson switched successfully to the front row in the 2015/16 season for Wasps, giving the club an option at hooker, and appeared in every match that season for the club.
He made 31 appearances last season crossing for an impressive nine tries.
On Wednesday a 20-year-old South African became the first professional player to fail a drugs test in English professional rugby in seven years.
Brandon Staples of Yorkshire Carnegie has been suspended for a period of four years from all sport following the decision of an independent national anti-doping panel.
Staples tested positive for the presence of three steroids including Dehydrochloromethyl-Testosterone, Metandienone and Stanozolol.
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The 20-year-old South African was tested after a training session on 9 August 2017 at his club and his urine sample returned an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF).
Staples claimed the AAF was a result of consuming a nutritional drink in South Africa while on holiday in May 2017.
Staples maintained that he wasn’t training at the time and that he consumed the protein shake in the belief that it was free from banned substances.
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In other news: Harlequins prop Joe Marler speaks candidly to The Rugby Pod about the club’s season
The period of ineligibility has been applied from 7 September 2017 – the date of the provisional suspension – until 6 September 2021.
Stephen Watkins, RFU Anti-Doping and Illicit Drugs Programme Manager added: “This is the first failed test for a performance-enhancing substance in English professional rugby since 2011 and a reminder to all that we cannot be complacent in our efforts to keep rugby a clean sport.
“Education and deterrence remain core pillars to our anti-doping strategy and we must ensure we continue to educate players of the risks involved in supplementation. Ultimately individuals are responsible for what they put into their bodies and this case highlights what can happen if a player is not vigilant.”
The case also went to an appeal panel which upheld the original decision.
The looseforward had his contract terminated following the original Anti-Doping Tribunal on 30th November 2017.
During the investigation process, Staples was offered support from the club.
Commenting on the outcome on the Yorshire Carnegie website, Gary Hetherington, the club’s Chief Executive said, “We are naturally very disappointed with the actions of Brandon Staples, who has let himself and everyone at the club down and the four-year suspension sends a stark warning to all professional sportspeople.”
Staples made his debut for Yorkshire Carnegie in the 2016-17 season as a replacement against Bedford Blues in the British & Irish Cup before making his first start at the Dragons Premiership Select, impressing with a try down in Wales. He has not featured for Yorkshire Carnegie this season.
Born in Durban, South Africa, Brandon attended the prestigious Glenwood Boys School, which has produced over 150 international sportsmen, including seven rugby Springboks in the last century.
The big No.8 represented KwaZulu-Natal at under-13 and under-16 level before coming to England in 2014 as an exchange student. He attended Northumbria University and played at Darlington Mowden Park last season on dual registration.
In other news: England and All Blacks dispute over Brad Shields may end up in court.
Comments on RugbyPass
Will rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
2 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
2 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
3 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
2 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
28 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
2 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
1 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
2 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to commentsAnd the person responsible for creating a culture of accountability is?
3 Go to commentsMore useless words from Ben Smith -Please get another team to write about. SA really dont need your input, it suck anyway.
264 Go to commentsThis disgraceful episode must result in management and coach team sackings. A new manager with worse results than previous and the coaching staff need to coached. Awful massacre led by donkeys.
1 Go to commentsInteresting article with one glaring mistake. This sentence: “And between the top four nations right now, Ireland, France, South Africa, and New Zealand…” should read: And between the top four nations right now, South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand and France…”. Get it right wistful thinkers, its not that hard.
24 Go to commentsHow did Penny get the gig anyway?
3 Go to commentsNice write up Nick and I would have agreed a week ago. However as you would know Cale & co got absolutely monstered by the Blues back row of Sotutu, Ioane and Papaliti and not all of these 3 are guaranteed a start in the Black jumper. He may need to put some kgs before stepping up, Spring tour? After the week end Joe will be a bit more restless. Will need to pick a mobile tough pack for Wales and hope England does the right thing and bashes the ABs. I like your last paragraph but I would bring Swinton, Hannigan into the 6 role and Bobby V to 8
28 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can still get in to the Play Off’s. The imminent return of outstanding captain Scott Barrett and his All Black team mate Codie Taylor will be a big boost.There are others like Tamaiti Williams too. Two home games coming up. Fellow Crusader fans get there and support these guys. I will be.
2 Go to commentsCant get more Wellington than Proctor.
3 Go to comments