PARIS, 11 October - Rugby World Cup Limited has announced that the IRB Rugby World Cup France 2007 Anti-Doping programme returned no positive tests for the pool stages and all four quarter-finals. In total 176 tests were conducted with two players per team tested at all 44 tournament matches to date.
"The Anti-Doping programme for RWC 2007 has been the most extensive in the history of Rugby World Cup," said IRB Anti-Doping Manager, Tim Ricketts. "The tournament testing programme has comprised four tests from each match and an out of competition blood testing programme, the first for a RWC."
"Blood testing in rugby occurred for the first time at the 2006 Commonwealth Games Rugby Sevens Tournament in Melbourne and the IRB believes it is one of the first international sports governing bodies to collect blood serum out of competition, which has seen five players from each of the semi-finalists tested over the past two days in their hotels. The blood testing was well received by the players and their team management," added Ricketts.
In 2006 the IRB established a Blood Test Working Group to run a thorough investigation into blood testing, including methods and prohibited substances that can be detected in blood, and its relation to rugby. The decision to test at RWC 2007 was driven by the research of the working group in consultation with relevant experts in the field and WADA (the World Anti Doping Agency) over the past 12 months.
"The IRB will consider the further implementation of blood testing across its family of tournaments at the conclusion of RWC 2007 when the working group will meet to evaluate the process implemented during the tournament," said Ricketts.
"Blood samples collected will be tested for Haemoglobin Based Oxygen Carriers (HBOCs) and while no analysis procedure for human growth hormone currently exists, samples will be stored at the WADA accredited laboratory in Paris until such a test is available, which WADA predicts will be within the next 12 months," added Ricketts.
The comprehensive testing process for RWC 2007 started after the last Rugby World Cup in 2003 with players from the world's top 20 ranked teams being tested out of competition on a regular basis. In the past 12 months over 30 RWC qualification matches were also subject to doping controls while the IRB also conducted 430 no notice out of competition controls on players in RWC squads. The testing process is the biggest in the history of the tournament.
In 2004 the IRB signed up to the WADA code and has a close working relationship with the agency. WADA currently contributes to the IRB's testing programme conducting an additional 40-50 tests annually on players in the IRB's registered testing pool. Earlier this year WADA President Dick Pound singled out the IRB for its comprehensive testing programme and firm stance in the fight against doping in sport.
"We are on target to conduct a record number of anti-doping tests in 2007 with some 1130 controls due to be completed before the end of the year. We also raise awareness of the dangers of performance-enhancing and recreational drugs through our hugely successful Outreach and Keep Rugby Clean campaigns at IRB age grade and other IRB tournaments. These have been run and developed in partnership with WADA," said Ricketts.
"In the period 2004-2006 the IRB handed down suspensions to 14 players for returning positive tests for a variety of prohibited substances including performance enhancing and recreational drugs. These sanctions are in addition to 136 cases determined by Member Unions. The IRB adopts a supervisory role over the disciplinary process of Member Unions and since 2005 has successfully referred a number of cases to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)."
RNS dk/kb
