Anti-drugs program sets fine example

 

PARIS, 15 October - The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has praised the IRB after none of the 176 players tested up to the quarter-finals returned positive results.

David Howman, WADA director-general, said the IRB's anti-doping program could be "held up for others to follow".

He said: "The IRB has done extremely well at setting up its own doping program in the thorough way it has - it is one of the best that sport has in the international federation.

"We're very pleased with the program and its composition compared with some of the others (in sport)."

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 more than 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 works closely with the agency. WADA contributes to the IRB's testing program, conducting an additional 40-50 tests annually on players in the IRB's registered pool.

Mr Howman said the IRB program could show the way for other sporting federations. "It makes it easy to say that the IRB is compliant to the code and to hold it up for others to follow.

"In general terms we really want the international federations to do their jobs. We would only share (our) views if we felt there were issues that needed a response. That has not happened in rugby."

RNS pr/mr