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Welsh player handed huge doping ban after 'cocktail' of drugs found in his system
By Online Editors
A Welsh club player has been handed a huge ban after testing positive for doping in a Welsh Premiership match.
Maredydd Francis, of Rygbi Gogledd Cymru 1404 RFC, has been suspended from all sport for a period of four years.
Francis failed an in-competition test during a match for the North Wales club against Aberavon RFC on 10th March 2018.
A "cocktail" of performance-enhancing drugs were found in the 24-year-old's system including 17?-epitrenbolone (a metabolite of trenbolone), nandrolone and testosterone and along with four metabolites of testosterone including androsterone and etiocholanone.
Francis will not be allowed to play sport again until until midnight on 9 March 2022.
UKAD’s Chief Executive, Nicole Sapstead, said: “This is one of several cases we have seen recently in which the athlete is guilty not only of taking a performance enhancing drug, but a number of banned substances.
“Athletes must be aware that taking such a cocktail of performance enhancing drugs will not only see them banned from sport, but also has the potential to be hugely damaging to health.
“We hope such instances serve as a warning to others.”
Francis was a former captain of RGC and made over 100 appearances for the club.
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I'm a huge ABs fan. I think the game was messy but enjoyable to watch. The Italians really defended very well... To see ABs try different ways to break them during phase play was interesting to watch
Go to commentsMy bad, added missing words. Just saying so many injuries that it was a 23% win rate team for a lot of games.
And they'll be up around something like 70% next year which will see Penney get reappointed!
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