New Zealand club doping convictions continue

Two club rugby players have been banned from rugby following New Zealand Rugby Judicial Committee hearings into anti-doping charges brought by Drug Free Sport New Zealand (DFSNZ).

The charges were brought against Tautini Hopa (Waikato) and Mathew Jeffreys (West Coast) and are from the same MedSafe investigation into the operation of the website NZ Clenbuterol in 2014 and 2015 that has resulted in bans for several rugby players and other athletes since 2017.

Hopa was suspended for four years after he admitted two violations of the Sports Anti-Doping Rules (possession and use of a prohibited substance) for purchasing testosterone enanthate in January 2015.

He acknowledged the purchase and to using a portion of the substance. The Committee backdated the four-year suspension by six months to 26 April 2018, to account for the delay in proceedings.

The sanction for these violations were increased from two to four years at the start of 2015.

Jeffreys was alleged to have purchased Clenbuterol in August 2014 and admitted the allegations of possession and attempted use. He waived his right to a hearing and instead lodged a joint memorandum with DFSNZ proposing a two-year suspension, which the New Zealand Rugby Judicial Committee accepted.

His suspension was backdated to begin on 21 February 2018 to account for his timely admission and the delay in proceedings starting.