Four-year ban given to English grassroots player for doping
A grassroots player in England has been banned for four years by the RFU for failing a drugs test taken earlier in 2019.
Leigh Dearden, registered as a player for Lincoln RFC, has been banned from all sport for four years following an in-competition test on March 23.
He is banned from the date of his provisional suspensions (May 31, 2019) until May 30, 2023.
Dearden provided a urine sample. That sample was analysed and returned adverse analytical findings for Drostanolone and a metabolite, two metabolites of Oxymetholone, and cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine.
All are prohibited substances and included on the 2018 World Anti-Doping Agency prohibited list.
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Dearden was charged with a breach of World Rugby regulation 21.2.1 - ‘Presence of a prohibited substance or its metabolites or markers in an athlete’s sample’.
He didn’t provide any evidence to conclude that anti-doping rule violation was not intentional. Given this, he was handed a four-year ban by the national anti-doping panel.
RFU anti-doping and illicit drugs programme manager Stephen Watkins said: “All rugby players are subject to the anti-doping rules which are in place to protect players and the integrity of our sport.”
To read the full judgement, please click here.
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The problem is the officiating & changing rulings,& TMOs.Last weekend I saw a 9 penalized for a crooked scrum feed! the last time I saw that rule applied was In about 1975!!!!!!!!.Late or not the incident is history & Australians alleging that Kiwi rugby supporters wear eye patches is a bit rich.Try listening to Australian Commentators.Every new player who has an above average game is suddenly the next great sensation.
Go to commentsEvery Irish fan in the stadium celebrated like they had won the tournament after the SA and Scotland games so yeah, the way Etzebeth tells it stacks up. It was definitely ‘In Their Heads’!
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