RFU defends anti-doping programme that fails to test every Premiership player
The Rugby Football Union has defended its anti-doping programme despite being unable to guarantee that every Premiership player is tested for performance-enhancing drugs at least once a season.
According to the RFU’s anti-doping and illicit drugs programme report for the 2017/18 season – which was published on Tuesday – there were 739 anti-doping tests conducted on professional players across the top two tiers of the English men’s game and top division in women’s rugby.
This represents an 18-per-cent increase on 2016/17 but more than 100 fewer tests than were conducted in 2015/16. Nearly two thirds of those tests were carried out by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), with World Rugby doing most of the rest and European Professional Club Rugby and the Six Nations also doing some testing.
But, as with previous seasons, this does not mean every player with a club in England’s top men’s division is being tested at least once, every season, because there are nearly 500 players in the league – with
another 150 in Premiership academies – and several are tested multiple times.
Asked by reporters on a conference call to discuss the report, none of its authors were able to confirm that every Premiership player had been tested last season, something many would consider to be the bare minimum for a game based on pace and power.
The 2017-18 anti-doping annual report for rugby in England has today been released on behalf of the RFU Anti-Doping Advisory Group ?
It reflects the diverse landscape of the RFU’s clean sport programme ?
Read full details here: https://t.co/QTP30FNSwo pic.twitter.com/oBGEGFmQsk
— Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) April 23, 2019
UKAD deputy director of operations Hamish Coffey said the RFU’s programme was “comprehensive but it’s not just about the numbers”, explaining that the testing was targeted for maximum effect and large sums of money were also spent on education.
RFU medical services director Dr Simon Kemp, who also chairs its anti-doping advisory group, said “no programme would have a hard and fast minimum number of tests”, while the manager of the RFU’s anti-doping and illicit programme Stephen Watkins claimed having a minimum requirement would not have the same deterrence effect because it would be predictable.
In terms of the numbers, those 739 tests resulted in only two violations: one was for Wasps player Ashley Johnson using a contaminated supplement – for which he received a six-month ban – and the other was for Yorkshire Carnegie player Brandon Staples testing positive for steroids, the first such case in English pro rugby since 2011. Staples received a four-year ban.
?? 739 tests within the professional game
?? 99 tests conducted in the community game
The RFU has published its annual anti-doping report.
More: ?? https://t.co/wn7Y0hndQH pic.twitter.com/Vwm4pyZMFT— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) April 23, 2019
But, as Kemp admitted, there can be no room for complacency, as a further 99 tests in community rugby (the club game below the second tier) produced three bans, which help explain why rugby union is by some margin the most sanctioned sport by UKAD. Of the 66 bans on its current list, rugby union accounts for 23, with rugby league second on 11 – no other sport has more than seven.
Both the RFU and UKAD believe this is a reflection of wider society’s increasing use of image-and-performance-enhancing substances, combined with a lack of knowledge about anti-doping further down the pyramid. They also said this season’s report will see a further increase in the number of tests done throughout the game after UKAD’s budget by the government was increased in April 2018.
The ‘sport mirroring society’ theory is also the explanation for the four positives from the 332 tests the RFU did as part of its illicit drugs programme. These positives were all for cocaine and Dr Kemp said they all also involved alcohol and players who were “dislocated” from the routines of their teams because of injury.
None of their information was released in the report, as first-time offenders are allowed to remain anonymous, although they were fined and given psychiatric counselling by independent experts. Earlier this month, Sale’s Jake Pope became the first player to breach the RFU’s illicit drugs policy for a second time and was subsequently named, fined and banned for six months.
– Press Association
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Comments on RugbyPass
You forget this is Rassie Erasmus who is still holding the Springbok keys. Even with Felix Jones orchestrating a really tight RWC SF last year. It still wasn't enough to get England past their particular Springbok Monkey in world cups. The reason is FJ was going off of what they did in 2019 not necessarily adapting to current Springboks. So yes, Australia can get passed England because let's be honest, England have a one track strategy, Springboks do not. Even with rush defense I wouldn't be surprised if Rassie continually tweaks it. Also bear in mind Rassie is happy to sacrifice a few mid year and inter World Cup matches to pin point how opposition plays and how to again tweak strategies to get his Springboks in peak performance for the next World Cup. As much as most teams like to win games in front of them and try to win everything, Rassie always makes sure to learn and train for the greatest showdown International Rugby has to offer. Tbh, most people remember World Cup wins and ignore intermediate losses as a result but will remember also WC losses, Ireland, even if they won games in the interim. So even if games are won against the Springboks, it's likely Rassie is just getting a feel for how opposition is moving and adapt accordingly…in time.
7 Go to commentsDanny don't care. He pretends to care but he don't. He says all this stuff to justify his reasoning but no one can claim that legitimately. He knew exactly what he was doing and wondered if his old team mate would overlook it, which he did. Ref has got to be sidelined or properly trained. It's one thing for refs to move up the ranks but if it was me I would require refs to either have played in different clubs or not at all having the temptation to bias in high stakes games like this. This has got to be stamped out. But then again World Rugby is so destroying the game of rugby in an attempt to be more “safe” and “concussion free”. What they are doing is making it more infuriating for the fans and more difficult for the refs to officiate evenly and consistently. It's fast become Australian Rules football. If guys don't want concussions, they should have played chess. Stop complaining you oldies of the game. When they played the game was vastly heavier hitting than it is now but of course they can't see that.
2 Go to commentsJa, why do Bulls get flack for not bringing their best but Leinster never bring their best and it goes “unnoticed”?
3 Go to commentsIt’ll be very interesting to see how Razor’s AB’s handle the new England rush D. It’s basically the Bok recipe they copied, so if England goes well then we know most likely the Boks will go well too. If England cops a hiding then we’ll have to study and adapt.
7 Go to commentsTypical trait of an australian is to moan. Goes well with there lack of humbleness as evident by the Reds bench on the weekend.
2 Go to commentsSBW’s bro’town commentary and lazy default to hyperbole should be ignored, a technical analyst he is not. Sotutu is a good player when games get goosey loosey, high skill set that fans of Zinzan recall with starry eyes. But you need power and mongrel at no8 in the Test arena and Sotutu gets found wanting there, much like Akira Ioane. No8’s like Zinzan and Ardie have bucketloads of mongrel and power and tenacity which allow the skill sets to flourish.
11 Go to commentsAn inside pass to attacker on the angle can make a drift defence look lead footed. Relies on fleet footed forward/s to get across from the breakdown. An argument for the smaller faster 7 perhaps?
7 Go to commentsSensational tackle. The reds one was late and rightly penalised. The other two were simultaneous with the pass. If nitpicking TMOs can’t find fault there clearly isn’t any.
2 Go to commentsBrumbies fully deserved their win on the back of their physicality and desire to control the ball. Xavier Numia, Asafo Aumua and Tyrel Lomax should be the ABs starting front row when we start our test schedule. They have “come of age” and have bested all they have faced as well as been dominant with ball in hand in making the gainline. With De Groot, Tamaiti Williams and Fletcher Newell backed up by Taukei'aho and Cody Taylor there's not an international front row that can trouble us. Can't wait to face the Boks over there, won't be no one point game this time.
7 Go to commentsKinda strange that he wasn’t with a premiership team or a higher level of rugby? Start playing late or something? With that kind of size and athleticism you’d think someone would have picked him up?
2 Go to commentsShows how much attitude matters. Last week the Brumbies got done, this week they dominated the tournament leaders, who were likely thinking they could cruise to victory.
7 Go to commentsA Turtle has more pace and leg drive than Owen Franks, so it’s a good thing he only had to run 90 metres for that try.
2 Go to commentsOh Tamati Tua was in the vastly over-rated Leon MacDonalds Blues system? Well, no wonder he was wasted, much like Emoni Narawa and Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens under MacDonald. now look at them. Good thing Tua isn’t eligible, the Aussies latch on to any player who isn’t tied down.
7 Go to commentsMark Telea is a lot of things, but a defensive juggernaut has never been one of them. There will be far bigger tests in that regard for the youngster.
11 Go to commentsLove and respect to Fiji but not a chance outside of 7s
4 Go to commentsGood summation Ned. Agree the Canes were out-muscled for once (except at the scrum!) by a focused Brumbies outfit. Tua deserves consideration for higher honors after the way he humbled Jordie and the Canes defense. Thankfully, his lack of eligibility for Oz keeps him from Joe’s plans. While I also agree the injuries affected the Canes performance, some players seemed to lack focus and intensity for this match. Perhaps after the Blues demolished the Brumbies, they thought it was going to be easy? A good reminder that any slip up in preparation can have a big affect on the result. Brumbies deserved that win.
7 Go to commentsKarl Dixon should never have been appointed this fixture, absolute disgrace, He’s not much of a referee anyway, didn't have the balls to send his mate care off
5 Go to commentsBrilliant article! Harry of 8/9
7 Go to comments‘UK athletes' have been in the NFL from the start.
2 Go to commentsIt’s going to be Scott Barrett. He’s the coaches mate and captain of a previously elite team. Ardie a great option but scooter has worked with the coach and Ardie still as big a leader as needed.
23 Go to comments