Northern Edition
Select Edition
Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

'If a player gets caught taking drugs it should be a jail sentence because you're stealing a living'

(Photos by Getty Images)

Gavin Henson believes the suggestion by ex-Wales coach Warren Gatland that a player may have taken performance-enhancing drugs during his long stint in charge should have resulted in a full-blown investigation. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Gatland, who made the remark over the winter during a promotional interview for his new book, eventually played down what he had said, suggesting that what he had hinted was merely dressing room banter. 

But Henson, who earned 13 of his 33 Wales caps under Gatland, insisted the issue should not be trivialised. Now retired from playing, the 38-year-has been forging a new career for himself as a village pub owner in St Brides Major just outside Bridgend.   

Speaking to walesonline.co.uk in an extensive midweek interview, the two-time Grand Slam winner and 2005 Lions tourist claimed any inkling regarding performance-enhancing drugs must be taken seriously. 

“I’ve been in an environment where the drug testers come in and there are one or two boys who run out. That’s happened at professional level,” he revealed. “How it is acceptable, I don’t know, but as a player, you can’t do anything about it.

“Of course it made me angry. Boys are cheating and those kinds of things give you such an advantage. There are boys who have had careers on the back of taking stuff that has cost other players international places, or even club team places, which is really lucrative.

“For me, I feel the rule that should be in place is if you get caught taking drugs it should be a jail sentence because you are stealing a living. You are taking money from someone else. One or two boys were quite open and honest about it but there is no proof.

ADVERTISEMENT

“There was always changing room talk but unless you are a doctor or something you can’t prove it. For a coach to say what Gatland did, I felt like there should be an investigation, but there we go.”

WATCH: RugbyPass goes behind the scenes at the Dragons

Video Spacer

 

 

ADVERTISEMENT

KOKO Show | July 22nd | Full Throttle with Brisbane Test Review and Melbourne Preview

New Zealand v South Africa | World Rugby U20 Championship | Extended Highlights

USA vs England | Men's International | Full Match Replay

France v Argentina | World Rugby U20 Championship | Extended Highlights

Lions Share | Episode 4

Zimbabwe vs Namibia | Rugby Africa Cup Final | Full Match Replay

USA vs Fiji | Women's International | Full Match Replay

Tattoos & Rugby: Why are tattoos so popular with sportspeople? | Amber Schonert | Rugby Rising Locker Room Season 2

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

P
PL 2 hours ago
Lions Tour Aussie takes: Bigger is better, the stars who failed to fire

I find it interesting that journalists who have done nothing in rugby comment on selections & coaching like they are experts

Concussive injury’s will remove insurance cover from the game unless their is strict application of the laws designed to remove MND Parkinson’s and CTE from the game


Head on head I saw red to Adam Coleman as tackler for Irish while unconscious on a stretcher - concussions occur without twitching on the ground or the wobbly boot - I know I had maybe 20 from rugby


The officiating of last feet is non existent

The lack of effective wrap by Lions front rower & that decision had a close relationship with ordure in a toilet

A head on head tackle red for Coleman not even penalty lead to a try in a phase or 2


Powys v Evans lead to a £> 2 mill verdict against the ref personally special leveraged to Hiuse of Lords

Refs will stop reffing with no insurance then no game


About 5 years ago 4 or 5 French colts died from head hits in elite club games - that led to below sternum law - hamlets honoured in breach not observance

Last feet non existent - enforcement favour flowing rugby nor lions meat grinder forwards get momentum and puck & drive NZ Vowel noise


The UK Class Action could be very well be lost WRC will try every dirty trick in case they already used dial a neuros to argue the unarguable is law gossip


I reffed ref coached & assessed for ruffly 17 seasons


The application of laws is like a zig zag on speed

Line out laws not enforced scrums tight pulling loose down one side mirror on other side elbow pointing to ground stretch marks on jersey

Der moment the refs need to go Soec Savers

My bet unless they stop lack of intestinal fortitude game management


Yellow every time head contact or above sternum


Needs sterner GMGs material impact removed set piece caterpillar remove

Last feet to last feet + 1 m


When I reffed I kept them well apart - hated me till they got over yellow and they actually had fun & complemented me post game backs had room and pick and drive had momentum


As for intentional foul play like tackle in air auto red no replacement 100,000 fine player 250,000 club


Treble it for international 26 week suspension & it’s disappear over night

25 were scrum for dissent


Penalty all this rubbish shots at opponents after error


All the s.ite would disappear


The pathetic unsportsmanlike behaviour would lead to standards


Remember Les Boyd’s penalty re Brohman -if that is the way we treat foul play but while foul play with potential serious injury with a feather duster like we are the game is destined to no insurance following that no refs cause would you risk bankruptcy like Powys v Evans

1 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ 'The Wallabies need to convert much better - or Melbourne could be much worse' 'The Wallabies need to convert much better - or Melbourne could be much worse'