Matheson and Abraham hit with two-year drugs bans

Published on Thursday 29 May 2008 23:36

THE Scottish Rugby Union has banned two club players for the maximum two years after they tested positive for recreational drugs.

Justin Matheson, of Stirling County, and Josh Abraham, of Watsonians, both of whom are New Zealanders, underwent routine UK Sport testing after matches in March. Matheson, 30, tested positive for marijuana and amphetamines, while Abraham, 22, tested positive for benzoylecognine, a metabolite of cocaine.

The ban, which applies worldwide and to every level of rugby union, was decided on by an SRU panel comprising Rod McKenzie of the law firm Harper Macleod, as chairman; Dr Gerry Haggerty, the team doctor to Glasgow Warriors; and Heather Barton, the head of the Scottish Football Association's legal department.

Matheson declined his right to a hearing and made no submission to the panel, while Abraham's defence of "No Significant Fault Or Negligence" was rejected. Abraham, who was tested after the Heriot's v Watsonians game on 22 March, said that two days beforehand he had been at a party where he knew that cocaine was being taken.

He said he had not personally and knowingly taken cocaine, but believed that someone might have spiked his drink with the drug. He could produce no evidence of that having happened, however, and the panel insisted that the principle of athletes' liability for their own bodies should be upheld.

"Players are responsible for the presence of a prohibited substance in their body," a statement from the panel explained. "A player present when a prohibited substance is being taken must be aware of the risk that a third party may administer the substance to the player without the knowledge of the player.

"If players are conscious that a prohibited substance is being taken at a time and at a place when the player is present, then the player should immediately remove himself from that place. A failure to do so on the part of the player means (exposure] to substantial risk.

"In this case the player cannot establish, on the balance of probabilities, the method by which the prohibited substance entered his system, and, in the circumstances described to the committee, was unable to establish that he bore no fault or negligence or no significant fault or negligence for the anti-doping rule violation."

Both players have the right to ask for a formal review of the panel's ruling. Last night the SRU had not been informed of their intentions.

The only other case of a positive test in Scottish rugby since testing began was that of Scott MacLeod, the international lock, in February. MacLeod tested positive after changing his asthma inhaler without informing the authorities by completing a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) certificate.

The fact that he had a TUE certificate for another form of inhaler, however, led the panel to accept that a genuine mistake had been made. They warned him as to his future conduct, but allowed him to resume playing immediately.

Gregor Nicholson, the official responsible for the SRU's anti-doping policy, said: "In the last ten years approximately 2,000 tests have been undertaken on Scottish players through our most comprehensive testing programme with no violations until the recent inadvertent asthma-related finding involving Scotland lock Scott MacLeod earlier this year.

"These two club cases show that we are not immune to the scourge of doping in sport and that we cannot be complacent, but we do not believe that these cases are indicative of a doping problem in Scottish Rugby, whether for performance enhancing substances or for 'social' drugs. The rate of findings for social drugs is incomparable with statistics for the young male population as a whole."

Colin Thomson, the SRU's Head of Community Rugby, added: "Scottish Rugby has a rigorous anti-doping policy and information is freely available, both on-line and in person, spelling out a clear anti-drugs message to all. We encourage all clubs and players, regardless of the level that they play at, to avail themselves of that information.

"Our message is absolutely unequivocal. The taking of banned substances, including 'social' drugs, has no place in our game at any level."