IRB 2005 Age Grade Events Drug Free
The IRB Under 19 and Under 21 World Championships for 2005, held in March and June respectively, saw a record number of doping controls conducted, all of which returned negative.
The Under 19 tournament involved over 620 players from 24 countries and underwent a total of 205 tests, the largest number ever conducted at this level of the game. Testing was complemented by an extensive education initiative featuring a seminar and anti-doping information desks set up in team hotels. Furthermore, the event also as the launching pad for the IRB’s “Keep Rugby Clean” campaign, launched in partnership with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
The IRB Under U21 World Championship, which features older players with prior experience of IRB anti-doping procedures, saw 92 tests conducted across the 12 participating unions.
IRB Anti Doping Manager Tim Ricketts said: “This is a great outcome from the testing programmes conducted at these championships. While our emphasis will always be on ensuring the IRB championships are contested cleanly via the implementation of both in- and out-of-competition testing, another major focus is on ensuring that educational support programmes are also in place. It is satisfying to know that the future of the game is in a healthy state”.
Ricketts, however, does have a concern with the number of age group players taking nutritional supplements and issued a word of warning on ensuring the authenticity of the supplement before taking it.
“Supplement companies are not required to list all of the ingredients on the labels of supplements which means you could be taking a cocktail of prohibited substances,” he said.
The IRB operates a ‘strict liability’ principle, meaning that each player is responsible for anything found in their sample. A brochure developed by WADA is available for download below to help guide athletes in understanding the issues surrounding nutritional supplements.
Greg Thomas, IRB Communications Manager +353 1240 9214 or +353 86 819 6149
The Under 19 tournament involved over 620 players from 24 countries and underwent a total of 205 tests, the largest number ever conducted at this level of the game. Testing was complemented by an extensive education initiative featuring a seminar and anti-doping information desks set up in team hotels. Furthermore, the event also as the launching pad for the IRB’s “Keep Rugby Clean” campaign, launched in partnership with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
The IRB Under U21 World Championship, which features older players with prior experience of IRB anti-doping procedures, saw 92 tests conducted across the 12 participating unions.
IRB Anti Doping Manager Tim Ricketts said: “This is a great outcome from the testing programmes conducted at these championships. While our emphasis will always be on ensuring the IRB championships are contested cleanly via the implementation of both in- and out-of-competition testing, another major focus is on ensuring that educational support programmes are also in place. It is satisfying to know that the future of the game is in a healthy state”.
Ricketts, however, does have a concern with the number of age group players taking nutritional supplements and issued a word of warning on ensuring the authenticity of the supplement before taking it.
“Supplement companies are not required to list all of the ingredients on the labels of supplements which means you could be taking a cocktail of prohibited substances,” he said.
The IRB operates a ‘strict liability’ principle, meaning that each player is responsible for anything found in their sample. A brochure developed by WADA is available for download below to help guide athletes in understanding the issues surrounding nutritional supplements.
Greg Thomas, IRB Communications Manager +353 1240 9214 or +353 86 819 6149