Self-confessed French doper found dead at the age of 41

Self-confessed French rugby doper Anthony Martrette has been found dead at the age of 41 in his apartment in Port-Vendres in the Pyrenees-Orientales.

The former Perpignan back row, whose list of other clubs in France included Aurillac, Bourgoin, Poitiers and Colomiers, completed his career in 2012 in Mazamet.

After revealing how he had doped for much of that career, he vowed to highlight how doping is allegedly very prevalent in French rugby. 

In an October 2016 French Television interview, Martrette lifted the lid on the testosterone-based products he had used over the years.

”I was called the Catalan shears," he later told L’Equipe in an interview. “I always had a good tackle. I was strong, I did a lot of bodybuilding. I started at the age of 17. I was running pretty fast too. Jeff (Tordo) said that after Stéphane Glas, I too would play one day for France.

”I quickly understood that to pass a course I would have to gain muscle mass. I started to dope at the age of 25 and I continued until 33.

“I used anabolic steroids, I took Deca-Durabolin. In wanting to gain mass, I first lost speed, endurance. I had to rebalance. I took testosterone, Stanodrol for explosiveness and aggression.

“To keep the mass, I took Clenbuterol, an anti-catabolic. The injections of Masteron also allowed me to feel really good, stronger. Physically but also mentally since these products have an influence on the hormones and aggressiveness."

“I take responsibility for what I did and I would do it without problem (again) if the opportunity arose. With better products maybe. Today there are undetectable growth hormones.

“These drugs had no effect on my health. They are not dangerous. It's just a question of ethics. So, why not (take them) when we know, anyway, that everyone is doing this,” he continued, insisting doping in rugby didn’t begin and end with him. “Most players load.”

In speaking out, Martrette claimed he was “putting an end to this great hypocrisy” that rugby is a clean sport. 

"My family is proud of me," he said. “I have a lot of friends who have called me since the broadcast of the report to tell me that I was right to speak. I had no hostile reaction, just encouragement. I'm proud to have done that."