Schools rugby players taking banned substances

Transform

Was watching RTE coverage of the olympics and they had a short discussion on drugs in sports.

Garry O'Toole wrapped up by saying that there are schools rugby players taking banned substances that would get them thrown out of the olympics.

Call me naive but is this sensationalist or are 15-18yr olds taking stuff that could get them banned if they were tested?

suckslikeafox

Id well believe it

tribulus

I think it's possible given the exposure of the schools cup and the competition for academy places.

All I've ever personally heard were the standard rumours about a guy or two that live near me but then I didn't go to a rugby school (basketball ftw).

amacachi

Almost definitely.

Gillo

Wasn't that part of the reason behind the IMB crackdown last year.

Again I'm not big into rugby so I don't know a lot about it.

Mikel

He was possibly referring to tainted supplements maybe?

JMCD

When people say banned substances are we talking about things like no explode or something maybe harder?

The funny thing is if they have to take banned substances to better and further themselves at 15-18 to reach there potentil then they obviously arent good enough to go any further beyond that!

And the scarey thing is what would they be willing to do when they get to 18-19 and are being left behind by their peers especially given the fact that they are so passionate about it at 15 to 18!

Boston

Question though, would your average joe pass a banned substance test for the olympics? I think not in general. I doubt I would and I'm slow to even take painkillers.

Diamondmaker

When my bro started out kids around him were taking creatine at 14 y/o and onwards.

10 years on I would not be surprised to see "harder" supplements being used.

Creatine was a viewed as a pretty evil substance back !

rubadub

JMCD wrote: »

When people say banned substances are we talking about things like no explode or something maybe harder?

I presume it is anything that is banned, especially when lads like that love using scare tactics. I thought it was an odd discussion. O'Toole was inferring that Bolt must be on drugs, yet thought Phelps was clean, while Eamonn Coghlan was sure Bolt was clean and seemed to have some doubt about Phelps.

Boston wrote: »

Question though, would your average joe pass a banned substance test for the olympics? I think not in general.

Many would fail, if you get banned for OTC cough medicines.

podge57

you could fail an olympics drugs test on 7 cups of coffee, or a vicks inhaler, as andrew bree did

Hanley

Gillo wrote: »

Wasn't that part of the reason behind the IMB crackdown last year.

Again I'm not big into rugby so I don't know a lot about it.

They'd wanna be cracking down on bigger things if they're worried about substances that'll fail drug tests!!

Leon11

Oh ffs here's the schools players take xyz thread again:D

There is a minority who will take banned substances, by a minority I mean 1 in 50. The vast majority of them will just use creatine, protein and recovery drinks etc. Very few would have the knowledge required to go about sourcing such substances or how to go about using them. The amount of them that use maximuscle products alone reinforces my opinion that the majority have feck all knowledge about such products.

Frankie Lee

Does anyone know of anyone banned in professional rugby for taking banned substances?
In a sport that strenght and power is so necessary, the fact of the matter it is highly likely some take steroids.
If no-one is getting caught it means the testing isn't up to scratch.

damnyanks

i remember been given a dcoument back in school about banned substances ( i played rugby in school) 2 cups of coffe put you over the caffeine limit.

The Batman

They certainly do,well the major rugby schools do anyway!! I've experienced it first hand and have heard many stories form past and present pupils!!! If one guy has the knowledge or the source then they all do! I follow schools rugby quite a bit and saw a senior prop the other day that had to be taking something because i only saw him in the gym a few weeks back and he was half the size!!

ronbyrne2005

A friend who plays rugby told me that when he was in early teens in early 1990s lads would swig cough bottle before game to get ephedrine buzz for their rugby games. Would not be suprised if 15-18 yr olds were taking anabolics etc as with internet anyone can find out about them in a few minutes and get them thru friends of friends etc.

Cuddlesworth

I'm 5 years out of a hardcore rugby school(one of the top 4) and I agree with the one in fifty approach. Most players simply don't care that much. The only school I would be worried about is the one that goes to the point of bringing in ringers. That sort of pressure can lead to substance abuse.

Dragan

The Batman wrote: »

saw a senior prop the other day that had to be taking something because i only saw him in the gym a few weeks back and he was half the size!!

It's called being 15 to 18 years old.

podge57

i would imagine a lot of them think they are taking something major, but theyre to ignorant to realise that its a test booster, or fat burner

i definately cant see them having the knowledge to be able to use it properly, without damaging themselves

as someone else said, being in your mid to late teens, you will see dramatic changes with decent weight training and diet, because your test. levels are through the roof

De Deraco

If Cyclone is still an "banned substance" then i'd say there a lot of players on the banned list otherwise its a tiny miniscule % that would actually take anabolics.. Tobe honest its a joke the shook horro this causes there are definatelly more teenagers smoking pot than there is kids on suplements.

ID say there are more teenagers on class A drugs(cocaine, heroine) than there are on Anabolics in the whole country.

Leon11

Batman, you're talking crap. I'll accept that it's possible that on a SCT you COULD have 3 or 4 guys that would take banned substances, to suggest that the whole team does is just nonsense though. People will have preconceptions about young rugby lads and I don't think whatever is said here is gonna go towards changing those preconceptions. At the end of the day it's just a bunch of 15-18yr olds caught up in a competition that is unbelievably over hyped. Given that the bigger schools have say 200-300 teenagers to choose from it's likely that you can pull out a core group of 15-20 players who are above average size brought about through hard work in the gym and on the field.

Dragan

If people are using size as an indicator then I was definitely on ASS when I was a kid.

Actually, I am going to advise that none of you guys head down the country at any point soon.

We breed them big down there…..we must all be on.:rolleyes:

amacachi

Simple fact of the matter is that there are definitely going to be at least two schools rugby players somewhere in the country taking something that is on the banned list. 2 = some.

Roper

amacachi wrote: »

Simple fact of the matter is that there are definitely going to be at least two schools rugby players somewhere in the country taking something that is on the banned list. 2 = some.

Is that what's passing for facts these days?

None of you who say there are schools players on gear have provided any "facts" at all. In FACT nobody in the neverending cycle of Who's On Gear threads ever provides any facts, or stories that aren't about a mate of a mate who said he heard that someone was using.

Here's some real FACTS:
If someone has made big gains, then they're on gear. This particularly applies if they've made bigger gains than you.
If someone has improved in a season, they're on gear. Once again, this particularly applies if you used to be better/faster than them and now you're not.

Kinetic^

Boston wrote: »

Question though, would your average joe pass a banned substance test for the olympics? I think not in general. I doubt I would and I'm slow to even take painkillers.

Spot on tbh. I remember being tested when I was 17 and stuff like Lemsip Max Strength was on the banned list.

The rate a guy grows from 15-18 is ridiculous tbh, both in height and width. They're still developing.

gabgab

Roper wrote: »

Is that what's passing for facts these days?

None of you who say there are schools players on gear have provided any "facts" at all. In FACT nobody in the neverending cycle of Who's On Gear threads ever provides any facts, or stories that aren't about a mate of a mate who said he heard that someone was using.

Here's some real FACTS:
If someone has made big gains, then they're on gear. This particularly applies if they've made bigger gains than you.
If someone has improved in a season, they're on gear. Once again, this particularly applies if you used to be better/faster than them and now you're not.

I cant remember where but I read that somewhere else before, its very funny. My mate beat me in a triathlon, it all makes sense now.....

Gillo

Isn't it really just part of a bigger debate?
I mean four of five years ago there were very few shop's where you could by supplements, now there's a decent number of dedicated supplement shops.
(I'm going from my own experience but five years ago the only place I'd have thought of was Workout World on the quay), because they are a lot more readily available more people will take them when they don't necessarily need them.
Slightly off topic I know.

Kinetic^

Gillo wrote: »

Isn't it really just part of a bigger debate?
I mean four of five years ago there were very few shop's where you could by supplements, now there's a decent number of dedicated supplement shops.
(I'm going from my own experience but five years ago the only place I'd have thought of was Workout World on the quay), because they are a lot more readily available more people will take them when they don't necessarily need them.
Slightly off topic I know.

I think you're mixing protein/creatine up with illegal substances tbh.

Gillo

Kinetic^ wrote: »

I think you're mixing protein/creatine up with illegal substances tbh.

A number of shops have been caught selling the illegal substances over the years.

Leon11

Dragan wrote: »

If people are using size as an indicator then I was definitely on ASS when I was a kid.

Not sure if you were referencing my post there but that's usually the basis of most people's judgment when it comes to determining if someone has taken "banned substances" wrong as it is.

Dragan

Gillo wrote: »

A number of shops have been caught selling the illegal substances over the years.

Which ones?

This is my problem with the use of the term "banned substance".

It could be anything from codeine to test suspension.

amacachi

Roper wrote: »

Is that what's passing for facts these days?

None of you who say there are schools players on gear have provided any "facts" at all. In FACT nobody in the neverending cycle of Who's On Gear threads ever provides any facts, or stories that aren't about a mate of a mate who said he heard that someone was using.

Here's some real FACTS:
If someone has made big gains, then they're on gear. This particularly applies if they've made bigger gains than you.
If someone has improved in a season, they're on gear. Once again, this particularly applies if you used to be better/faster than them and now you're not.

Not everything on the banned list is what I would call gear, look at the OP, he's referring to the olympic banned list which we all know is a joke.

thirdmantackle

until the schools knockout rugby is changed to a round robin format this huge pressure will be on all players and their coaches

oh, and yes. there should be some random testing in schools rugby

rubadub

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

I agree with the one in fifty approach. Most players simply don't care that much.

Thats what I would have thought, when I was in school I was saving up for booze and other illegal substances at the weekend.

I was in Holland & Barrett and saw scrawny lads wanting to buy creatine and were refused, they asked for protein powder and got protein bars, the woman was saying "thats fine, its only food guys". If I was their age I would sooner be spending my pocket money on getting protein from chicken burgers!

Thing is the kids believe the crap they hear, and not just kids I know lads who have been in sports all their lives now in their 30's that think whey is some magical steroid.

I also expect the top young potential players might be too wary of taking stuff in case they are banned/tested

RugbyFanatic

this thread is hilarious.

Frankie Lee

What I can't understand is the fact that (as far as i know) no professional rugby player in the northern hemisphere has ever been found guilty of taking performance enhancing drugs/steroids.
I just find it highly unlikely that even a minority of players are not taking them.

De Deraco

Frankie Lee wrote: »

What I can't understand is the fact that (as far as i know) no professional rugby player in the northern hemisphere has ever been found guilty of taking performance enhancing drugs/steroids.
I just find it highly unlikely that even a minority of players are not taking them.

many have such as munster ligggeeend Frankie Sheehan

Hanley

Dragan wrote: »

If people are using size as an indicator then I was definitely on ASS when I was a kid.

Actually, I am going to advise that none of you guys head down the country at any point soon.

We breed them big down there…..we must all be on.:rolleyes:

There's a difference between just being a big thick heavy set country lad and being a muscular looking guy tho.

I know alot of country lads who are just plain "dad" strong. But they don't look like they lift. They've just big frames and thick joints. I don't think anyone would accuse them of being on the sauce.

Dragan

Hanley wrote: »

There's a difference between just being a big thick heavy set country lad and being a muscular looking guy tho.

I know alot of country lads who are just plain "dad" strong. But they don't look like they lift. They've just big frames and thick joints. I don't think anyone would accuse them of being on the sauce.

I agree, but in all honesty how many of these kids are actually muscular? Where i live and where i train are all jammed full of rugby players. Get the luas from home to town at a certain time and your gonna see dozens of them.

I never really see overly muscular guys....I just see slightly bigger than average guys wearing Canturbury tracksuits. Sure, one or two of them are standouts but thats it?

Al_Fernz

Dragan wrote: »

I agree, but in all honesty how many of these kids are actually muscular? Where i live and where i train are all jammed full of rugby players. Get the luas from home to town at a certain time and your gonna see dozens of them.

I never really see overly muscular guys....I just see slightly bigger than average guys wearing Canturbury tracksuits. Sure, one or two of them are standouts but thats it?

+1

To me nearly all of the players in the SCT final this year looked scrawny.

g'em

From talking to a couple of supplement shop owners it seems that prohormones are the supplement du jour right now. But even at that I'd imagine you're talking about a minority of guys who'd take it, and mostly those whose Mummy's and Daddy's give them enough pocket money each week to afford it. Maximuscle is probably still a staple for those who want to 'bulk up' and whatnot.

Oh and someone mentioned caffeine - that's not banned by the IOC anymore iirc, although I don't know what the current status of it is in rugby?

gabgab

Hanley wrote: »

There's a difference between just being a big thick heavy set country lad and being a muscular looking guy tho.

I know alot of country lads who are just plain "dad" strong. But they don't look like they lift. They've just big frames and thick joints. I don't think anyone would accuse them of being on the sauce.

Just palin "dad" strong............

That is hilarious, and I know exactly what you mean.

d-gal

I wouldn't really think much are on anything much, usually alot of players eat big and train heavy. The odd one might get no xplode or animal pak from behind the desk but thats the minority and what gym they are based in.
And for anything stronger it is only a possibility when they hit a full time academy contract and have a good chance of playing national level