Former Ireland forward copped 2 year ban for use of anabolic agent
It has been revealed that former Ireland second row Dan Tuohy was banned for two years after testing positive for the use of an anabolic agent in France.
Tuohy earned 11 Test caps between 2010 and 2015, featuring twice in the title-winning 2014 Six Nations. At club level he played rugby for Ulster, Worcester Warriors, Bristol Bears, Leicester Tigers, Stade Francais and Vannes.
Writing in the Irish Independent, Paul Kimmage tells how Tuohy, whose career had just come to an end at ProD2 club Vannes, tested positive for SARMs use following a routine test by de l’Agence Francaise de Lutte contre le Dopage (AFLD) in 2020.
SARMS – Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators – are a class of drugs that have similar anabolic properties to anabolic steroids and have become popular in the bodybuilding community in recent years.
Tuohy, who had suffered a severe arm fracture which had effectively ended his playing career, ordered the substance online in order to build back the muscle loss in his arm as a result of the injury in September 2019. He took the agent for a total of four months.
The arm injury would result in Tuohy retiring from rugby in February 2020 but a week after his public retirement, he was tested as he had been lifting weights at the Vannes’ gym at Stade Jo Courtel.
Despite his playing career having ended, Tuohy was banned from the sport for a period of two years following a decision that was eventually handed down a year later on February 24th, 2021 by the AFLD, after the former Ulster player appealed an initial four-year ban successfully.
Just three months after the final decision – which RugbyPass has seen – Tuohy took up a role with Malone RFC in Northern Ireland as their academy coach, which Tuohy says he understood at the time was not in breach of his ban.
The AFLD are a French organisation whose remit is in French sport. However, as a national anti-doping agency they are a listed member of WADA, whose protocols both World Rugby and Irish Rugby adhere to.
Tuohy had not been under contract with the IRFU for five years at that stage and did not inform the union of his positive test.
In a statement given to Kimmage, the Irish Rugby Football Union said: “The IRFU had not been made aware that former player Dan Tuohy had tested positive for banned substances in France. The IRFU, through Ulster Rugby, will examine the circumstances surrounding Dan Touhy’s subsequent appointment to a coaching position by a domestic club in Ulster.”
Paul Kimmage: The story of the former Ireland rugby star, a phone call and a two-year ban for steroid use https://t.co/Vbb4p9go1w pic.twitter.com/y5kqlg2ZGN
— Irish Independent Sport (@IndoSport) July 24, 2022
While Tuohy claims he has always remained transparent about the ban, he admits that he was reluctant to go public due to the embarrassment of the breach, even if it come at a time when he had no intention of returning to rugby as a player. He also feared that it could affect his future employment outside of rugby.
With his ban having now been completed, he is free to participate in the sport once more.
Comments on RugbyPass
Yawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
22 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
77 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
44 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
2 Go to comments