Namibia’s romp over Hong Kong U20s tainted by suspected anti-doping violation
A Namibian player under investigation for violating an anti-doping rule has overshadowed his country’s 70-8 pool win over Hong Kong and their subsequent qualification for the third-place play-off match at the World Rugby U20 Trophy in Zimbabwe.
A Namibian player under investigation for violating an anti-doping rule has overshadowed his country’s 70-8 pool win over Hong Kong and their subsequent qualification for the third-place play-off match at the World Rugby U20 Trophy in Zimbabwe.
The global governing body said the player had been “provisionally suspended from playing or training for his team or participating in any other team or any organised rugby activity until this matter [was] resolved” after a urine sample returned “an adverse analytical finding for dehydrochlormethyltestosterone and methandienone”.
Further investigations are to follow and disciplinary action will be taken by the Namibia Rugby Union, depending on the outcome of such investigations
Both substances are listed as banned anabolic steroids by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and are prohibited at all times, both in and out of competition.
According to World Rugby, early last month the Namibia U20 squad provided urine samples to a doping control officer from the South African Institute for Drug Free Sport and these were transported to a WADA-accredited laboratory in Switzerland.
World Rugby said after the game against Hong Kong on Wednesday that “the player was removed from the [Namibia] U20 squad in Harare, Zimbabwe with immediate effect”.
“Further investigations are to follow and disciplinary action will be taken by the Namibia Rugby Union, depending on the outcome of such investigations,” it added.
