10 Jan 2018

NZ rugby players banned for doping

3:46 pm on 10 January 2018

Four New Zealand rugby players, including a former Black Fern and New Zealand under 20's player, have been suspended for doping.

Glen Robertson of Waikato playing against Southland.

Glen Robertson of Waikato playing against Southland. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Zoey Berry, Rhys Pedersen and Glen Robertson have been suspended from between 21 months and four years for the possession and, in some cases, use or attempted use of Clenbuterol, while Ben Qauqau-Dodds has been banned for the possession and use or attempted use of Metandienone.

Clenbuterol and Metandienone are both prohibited substances under the NZ Sports Anti-Doping Rules.

All athletes pleaded guilty to at least one of the offences alleged.

The New Zealand Rugby Judicial Committee has suspended Berry for four years commencing on 31 July 2017, Pedersen for 21 months from 1 January 2017, Robertson for four years from 3 February 2017 and Qauqau-Dodds for two years from 31 July 2017.

All four athletes were playing club rugby at the time of the offending.

Berry played for the Black Ferns in 2012, earning one test cap, and had played for Canterbury in 15's and sevens.

Zoey Berry in action for Canterbury in 2012.

Zoey Berry in action for Canterbury in 2012. Photo: PhotoSport

Robertson was part of the Waikato University club and had played for the NZ under 20's in 2010 and 2011 and the New Zealand men's Sevens world series side in 2011/2012. He also played for Waikato in a Ranfurly Shield defence in 2016.

Pedersen was playing for Old Boys Marist in Palmerston North, while Qauqau-Dodds was playing for a club in Dunedin and Otago Maori.

The charges were brought against the rugby players by Drug Free Sport New Zealand (DFSNZ) following their investigation which was initiated by Medsafe into the operation of the website Clenbuterol NZ. It identified a number of athletes from a range of sporting codes, as having made purchases from the website in 2014 and 2015.

New Zealand Rugby's General Manager of Rugby, Neil Sorensen, said it was disappointing rugby players had been involved in purchasing banned substances.

"What has happened to these four rugby players serves as a reminder that all athletes have to be very careful about what they put into their bodies.

"In partnership with the Rugby Players Association (RPA) and DFSNZ we have developed and delivered comprehensive anti doping education programmes but these are primarily aimed at high performance, professional players. What this investigation has revealed is that there is a lot of ignorance in our community game on the issue of performance enhancing drugs.

"We will continue to work with Sport NZ, DFSNZ and the RPA to keep rugby and all sports in New Zealand as clean as possible," said Sorensen.

While confident no Super Rugby players or All Blacks are using the banned substances, Sorenson said he was concerned there was a growing number of young players on the cusp of professional contracts that are seeking an illegal edge.

"Absolutely it worries us, that's why education is important. If shortcuts can be taken, it's pretty tempting to get bigger, fitter, faster, stronger or leaner.

"But I'd like to think we're not sitting there pretending this hasn't happened, or saying this won't happen in rugby, because is absolutely has and we're well aware of it

"We'll be the first to put our hands up and say whatever we can do to educate, we've got to do it."

Despite that, Sorenson was confident the country's Super Rugby and international players were not dabbling with illegal supplements.

While acknowledging the use of illegal supplements could be even more widespread at amateur level, he said the national body are not concerned about those at the elite levels.

"I'm happy to go on record and say I'm very comfortable at that level.

"There is massive education that goes on with those young men and women now [and] I can't invisage any of the current squad willing to risk their careers for dropping a bit of weight."

-RNZ