It is an issue that has blighted Welsh rugby in recent years and it is a problem that is not going away.
The total number of rugby players from Wales currently banned for doping offences now stands at a staggering 15 after the case of Pontypool's Adam Scanlon was revealed today.
To put that into some kind of perspective, there are 60 people across all sports in the whole of Great Britain who are currently on the UK Anti-Doping's (UKAD) banned list. That means a quarter of all the banned sportsmen and women in the UK are Welsh rugby union players.
Rugby accounts for 23 of the 60 doping bans, significantly more than any other sport, with Rugby League next in line with 14 cases.
The list of those Welsh rugby players caught contains players who admitted trying to cheat, those who took recreational drugs socially and others who insisted they were unaware supplements they were taking contained banned substances.
Wales coach Warren Gatland has identified a problem underneath the elite game and the Welsh Rugby Union have begun work to tackle the issue. A nationwide anti-doping campaign was launched at the end of 2014 and the Union issued a strong warning back in November.
WRU Group Chief Executive Martyn Phillips said: “There is no place for doping within sport, and it certainly doesn’t fit in with the values of rugby union. Whether intentional, or inadvertent, players have a responsibility to themselves, to each other, to their clubs and to the sport to act within the rules and spirit of the game."
Here, we look at the 15 individual cases that currently cast a shadow over Welsh rugby.
Current UK drugs bans by sport
UK Anti-Doping
Current doping bans
The Welsh rugby hall of shame
Adam Scanlon
Date of violation: 24/10/2015
Club: Pontypool
National Governing Body: Welsh Rugby Union
Rule violated: Presence of a prohibited substance or its metabolites or markers in an athlete's sample
Class of drug: Hormone and Metabolic Modulators
Substance: Clomiphene
Start date of sanction: 24/10/2015
End date of sanction: 23/10/2017
Summary: Pontypool were notified of Scanlon's positive test by the Welsh Rugby Union in November and took action to suspend Scanlon from all club duties with immediate effect.
He tested positive for Clomiphene, an anti-oestrogenic drug, listed in section 4 of both the 2015 and 2016 versions of the WADA Prohibited List.
Pontypool chief Ben Jeffreys said: “Though Adam has been relieved of his sporting duties with Pontypool RFC, he will continue to play a central role in participating in the club’s WRU accredited drugs awareness educational programmes, which are conducted on a regular basis.
Read more: Steroid use in Britain: A 600% increase in users and a health time bomb from a growing problem
Joseph Phelps
Date of violation: 16/06/2015
Club: Newbridge RFC
National Governing Body: Welsh Rugby Union
Rule violated: Presence of a prohibited substance or its metabolites or markers in an athlete's sample
Class of drug: Anabolic Agents
Substance: Nandrolone
Start date of sanction: 02/07/2015
End date of sanction: 01/07/2019
Summary: After testing positive, 21-year-old Phelps contacted UKAD and insisted he had not taken anything specifically for performance enhancment but had been taking Viagra and another product (neither of which contained nandrolone) to treat erectile dysfunction. He said he had experienced symptoms of erectile dysfunction since sustaining a testicular injury some time ago.
The following extract from the official judgement tells the story of what happened next.
Adam Buttifant
Date of violation: 08/06/2015
Club: Bargoed RFC
National Governing Body: Welsh Rugby Union
Rule violated: Presence of a prohibited substance or its metabolites or markers in an athlete's sample
Class of drug: Anabolic Agents
Substance: Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone
Start date of sanction: 24/06/2015
End date of sanction: 23/06/2017
Summary: Buttifant claimed he mistakenly doped because of his dyslexia.
The 19-year-old, a former member of the Dragons’ under-16s development squad, tested positive for a steroid named dehydrochloromethyltestosterone – also known as DT.
This is what he says happened:
“I innocently purchased what I believed to be a supplement from Amazon,” the Bargoed RFC player said.
“I made a genuine mistake and I felt I had no alternative but to have my case heard before a tribunal panel to clear my name as I value my reputation greatly.”
Buttifant’s case was heard on December 4. His lawyers argued his supplement, named M-Sten, could have been contaminated with DT.
“I am pleased to say that I was believed and that I was telling the truth,” he said.
“I couldn’t have the ban completely lifted as I did accidentally and unknowingly take a prohibited substance because of my dyslexia.
UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) appealed the decision because it did not believe his explanation as to how DT got in his body.
And there was another steroid, called methylstenbolone, in M-Sten.
“There was no sufficient evidential basis to find that M-Sten must have been mislabelled or contaminated with DT,” UKAD submitted.
Buttifant accepted UKAD “weren’t happy” with the outcome.
Ryan Watkins
Date of violation: 18/08/2015
Club: Maesteg Harlequins
National Governing Body: Welsh Rugby Union
Rule violated: Presence of a prohibited substance or its metabolites or markers in an athlete's sample
Class of drug: Anabolic Agents, Stimulants
Substance: Methylhexaneamine, Nandrolone
Start date of sanction: 12/09/2015
End date of sanction: 11/09/2019
Summary: Watkins was suspended from all sport for four years after testing positive for an anabolic steroid in what has been described as a 'blatant attempt to cheat the system'.
He provided a sample at the same time as his former team mate Shaun Cleary , following a pre-season friendly against Bridgend Ravens on August 18 last year.
Watkins, 23, admitted his offence after the test was carried and he was confronted by UKAD officials. He said use of the banned substances had been intentional.
Shaun Cleary
Date of violation: 15/08/2015
Club: Maesteg Harlequins
National Governing Body: Welsh Rugby Union
Rule violated: Presence of a prohibited substance or its metabolites or markers in an athlete's sample
Class of drug: Stimulants
Substance: Benzoylecgonine
Start date of sanction: 11/09/2015
End date of sanction: 10/09/2017
Summary: The Maesteg Harlequins hooker told how he enjoyed a night out in Maesteg after a game on August 15 during which he drank alcohol and took cocaine on ‘a few occasions’.
“I took the cocaine purely for recreational purposes as I wanted to have a good night out," he said.
Owen Morgan
Club: Merthyr RFC
Date of violation: 02/04/2015
National Governing Body: Welsh Rugby Union
Rule violated: Presence of a prohibited substance or its metabolites or markers in an athlete's sample
Class of drug: Anabolic Agents, Stimulants
Substance: Benzoylecgonine, Drostanolone
Start date of sanction: 02/04/2015
End date of sanction: 01/04/2019
Summary: Morgan tested positive for the anabolic steroid drostanolone and the stimulant benzoylcgonine, a metabolite of cocaine.
Morgan admitted he knew he was taking a steroid and explained he was using a substance called Mastoral, which contained methyl-drostanolone, for therapeutic reasons as he recovered from an injury. He admitted carrying out no research on the product.
Morgan also admitted he ingested cocaine on a social night out with friends win the week before providing a sample.
Greg Roberts
Date of violation: 11/03/2015
Club: Glynneath RFC
National Governing Body: Welsh Rugby Union
Rule violated: Presence of a prohibited substance or its metabolites or markers in an athlete's sample
Class of drug: Hormone and Metabolic Modulators
Substance: Tamoxifen
Start date of sanction: 11/03/2015
End date of sanction: 10/03/2017
Summary: Roberts, who played for Glynneath RFC, tested positive for a metabolite of the hormone tamoxifen following a match against RGC1404 and was suspended for two years.
His explanation centred around the use of a supplement called Anti Esto, which he claims was used to ameliorate the symptoms of gynaecomastia. He admitted carrying out no research into the supplement's ingredients.
Oliver Bilton
Date of violation: 13/12/2014
Club: Cardiff Met
National Governing Body: Welsh Rugby Union
Rule violated: Presence of a prohibited substance or its metabolites or markers in an athlete’s sample
Class of drug: Anabolic Agents
Substance: Oxandrolone
Start date of sanction: 13/12/2014
End date of sanction: 12/12/2016
Summary: The positive finding followed an in-competition test on 13 December 2014 following a SWALEC Championship match between Cardiff Met and Narberth.
Bilton, a student of Sport and Exercise Science at Cardiff Mety, claimed to have ingested the prohibited substances through his use of sports supplements.
Scott Turner
Date of violation: 16/10/2014
Sport: Rugby Union
Club: Unknown
National Governing Body: Welsh Rugby Union
Rule violated: Presence of a prohibited substance or its metabolites or markers in an athlete’s sample
Class of drug: Unspecified
Start date of sanction: 06/11/2014
End date of sanction: 05/11/2016
Summary: Caught by an out-of-competition test.
Lee Evans
Date of violation: 28/07/2014
Club: Neath
National Governing Body: Welsh Rugby Union
Rule violated: Presence of a prohibited substance or its metabolites or markers in an athlete’s sample
Class of drug: Anabolic Agents
Substance: Drostanolone
Start date of sanction: 28/07/2014
End date of sanction: 27/07/2016
Summary: The former Neath captain claimed he failed a drugs test after not properly checking supplements he was allegedly taking.
“While I did not set out to cheat in any way, I was naive and I have suffered as a result,” said Evans.
“I failed a drugs test after taking supplements without making the appropriate checks as to whether they contained banned substances.
“The consequences are heartbreaking for me, but it goes to show that supplements can cause a failed drugs test.
“After what has happened to me, I’d like to help ensure that it doesn’t happen to others in the game and that all players are fully aware of the importance of checking each and every ingredient contained in the supplements. Anyone who doesn’t do this puts themselves at risk.”
Russell Kendall
Date of violation: 18/08/2014
Club: Unattached
National Governing Body: Welsh Rugby Union
Rule violated: Use or attempted use by an athlete of a prohibited substance or method
Substance: Human Growth Hormone (HGH)
Start date of sanction: 10/11/2014
End date of sanction: 09/02/2018
Sanction: Athlete suspended from 10 November 2014 until 9 February 2018.
Summary: UK Border Force seized a consignment of HGH in a package addressed to “Mr A. Kendall” at the athlete’s home address in South Wales.
The details of the seizure were shared with UK Anti-Doping, which on 15 August 2014 made enquiries of the WRU leading to the identification of Kendall as a person registered with the union, whose recorded address was the same as the address for which the seized package was destined.
Kendall was found guilty of the offence by a National Anti-Doping panel.
Nick Clancy
Date of violation: 14/08/2014
National Governing Body: Welsh Rugby Union
Club: Bonymaen
Rule violated: Presence of a prohibited substance or its metabolites or markers in an athlete’s sample
Class of drug: Anabolic Agents
Substance: 19-norandrosterone, 2-alpha-methyl-5-alpha-androstan-3-alpha-ol-17-one, 3-hydroxystanozolol
Start date of sanction: 04/09/2014
End date of sanction: 03/09/2016
Summary: Caught by an out-of-competition test.
Peter Davies
Date of violation: 14/05/2014
National Governing Body: Welsh Rugby Union
Club: Newport High School Old Boys
Rule violated: Refusing or failure to comply
Start date of sanction: 14/06/2014
End date of sanction: 13/06/2016
Summary: Davies was caught when a doping control officer knocked on his door. He played in SWALEC League Three East. A few minutes after the officer’s arrival, during which Davies had failed to provide a urine sample, the teenager’s mother reminded her son that he had a university exam to go to. What she did not say was that the exam was not for more than five hours.
The officer left after half an hour and returned six days later when Davies refused to give a sample. He was banned by a National Anti-Doping panel.
Christopher Edwards
Date of violation : 06/12/2013
National Governing Body : Welsh Rugby Union
Club : Tredegar
Rule violated : Use or attempted use by an athlete of a prohibited substance or method, Possession of prohibited substances
Substance : Testosterone, Trenbolone
Start date of sanction : 27/04/2014
End date of sanction : 27/04/2017
Summary : The then 29-year-old, who played rugby for Tredegar in Welsh League Two East, was caught following a tip-off to doping chiefs.
A third party had sent UKAD a carrier bag containing syringes, needles and empty bottles of Trentest, an anabolic steroid. Edwards was banned from sport for three years.
Dean Colclough
Date of violation : 15/08/2013
National Governing Body : Welsh Rugby Union
Rule violated : Possession of prohibited substances, Trafficking or attempted trafficking
Class of drug : Anabolic Agents
Substance : Androst-1,4,6-triene-3,17-dione (ATD), Androstenedione, Drostanolone, Mestanolone, n/a, Stanozolol
Start date of sanction : 14/11/2013
End date of sanction : 13/11/2021
Summary : The former Swansea hooker, who ran an online business called Dragon Nutrition, received an eight-year ban for possession and trafficking steroids.
It was from Colclough that Sam Chalmers, the son of former Scotland and Lions outside-half Craig Chalmers, purchased the steroids that brought him a two-year ban.
Sam Chalmers was 19 at the time and says he did not know what he was taking.
see-http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/full-shocking-details-fifteen-welsh-11254886
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