Anti-Doping Rule Violations

Doping in sport is no longer just about taking a prohibited substance. Did you know that under the World Anti-Doping Code and the IRB’s Regulation 21 there are eight different ways a player could break the anti-doping rules?

The following are anti-doping rule violations (ARDVs):

• The presence of a prohibited substance in a player's bodily sample
• Use or attempted use of a prohibited substance or a prohibited method
• Refusing to comply with a request to provide a sample or otherwise evading sample collection
• Failure to provide required whereabouts information and missed tests
• Tampering or attempting to tamper with any part of the doping control process
• Possession of prohibited substances and methods
• Trafficking of prohibited substances or methods
• Administration or attempted administration of a prohibited substance or prohibited method to any player, or assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, covering up or any other type of complicity involving an anti-doping rule violation

The World Anti-Doping Code and IRB Regulation 21 outline clear and strict sanctions for any player found to have committed one of the above offences. In the majority of cases these anti-doping rule violations carry a minimum ban of two years for a first offence, with lifetime bans for second violations.

Player-support personnel such as directors of rugby, managers, doctors, coaches and conditioners should also know that many of these anti-doping rule violations apply to them. For example, a coach found guilty of administering or trafficking prohibited substances faces a minimum ban of four years.