Laporte says England and NZ may not be drug free

EdgarAllenPoo

Taken from BBC.co.uk

The Rugby Football Union has vehemently rejected claims by French coach Bernard Laporte that English rugby may not be drug-free.
Laporte said France has tight doping rules, but he "could not be sure" about players in England or New Zealand.

"We're confident we have a very robust programme," RFU tournaments director Terry Burwell told the Daily Mail.

"We're the only Union with a full-time doping officer, which leaves no doubt as to how seriously we take it."

The RFU's doping chief is Gavin Dovey, appointed in December 2006 having previously worked for the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority.

In the 2006-07 season, 414 tests were carried out on rugby players in England under the RFU's testing programme, with over 50% conducted out of competition with no advance notice.

In total that season, 460 players in England were tested, with only two positive results, both for the presence of a prohibited substance in a player's sample.

Burwell said UK Sport's testing programme supplemented the RFU's own efforts.


"UK Sport conducts 450 tests on our behalf every year, both after matches and at random, in and out of season," said Burwell.

The response came after Laporte queried the cleanliness of English rugby.

"There is regular monitoring in France," said the French coach.

"The player cannot dope himself - well, he can, but he will be caught. But what is happening in New Zealand or in England? You cannot be sure of anything.

"The only certainty is there are dope tests at international matches. But they are only on urine and you have to go further than that."

International Rugby Board vice-chairman and ex-England captain Bill Beaumont has also rejected Laporte's comments out of hand.

"The RFU - and rugby in general - takes drug-testing extremely seriously," he told Radio Four's Today programme.

"Certainly from the RFU's point of view, I think they act in a very diligent manner regarding testing.

"I'm surprised and disappointed (by Laporte's comments)... Whether it was taken out of context, I don't know."

He really should just keep his mouth shut. I know it's all about tryin to (a) Unerve other teams and (b) take attention away from any faults his team may have but to make allegations or suggestions like this is wrong I think. It's bad for the image of the sport.

Kinetic^

Pretty wild accusation to be throwing out there but it's all mind games.

EdgarAllenPoo

It is but it puts the whole sport in a bad light I think. Imagine a parent who's child wants to take up rugby reading that.

daveirl

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Kinetic^

Whatever England are taking, it doesn't seem to be working

EdgarAllenPoo

Maybe they should take a lesson from Futurama for the 2011 world cup - everyone must take a certain amount of steroids and if you take less you're fined.;)

daveirl

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Steffano2002

Not only is he a useless coach but he also brings shame upon us all! What a retard...

shrapnel222

daveirl wrote:

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now that's a pretty ridiculous comment by any means. Cycling is the issue here as being one of the most doped up sport in the world, the tour de france just happens to be the biggest event on the cycling calendar, and therefore gets the most publicity.

back on topic though, i agree laporte is a twat, but i would still very much like to see these comments in context. before every world cup or six nations there's a lot of twisted comments flying around

Sangre

daveirl wrote:

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In fairness France probably has the strictest doping rules in the world. So much so that they helped cause the formation a world wide doping organisation to prevent other countries following suit and adopting criminal sanctions for athletes as well.

mikedragon32

Press blowing it all out of proportion, IMO.

He didn't say that RFU and NZRU are doped up to the eyeballs. He simply said that FFR have a strict drug testing procedure and policy in place and he didn't know about the rest of the Unions.

Obviously the BBC is an impartial broadcaster and source of news and would in no way twist anything that anyone says in order to elicit a response from it's viewer base. That's why they have such quality analysts and commentators like Davies, Butler, Guscott and Moore. Unbiased, objective opinions at all times.

damnyanks

What happened a few years ago when some Irish players tested positive but were never named ?

Rugby is a very physical support, I wouldnt be surprised if players used illegal substances.