RFU insists low level of drug tests is a deterrent

The Rugby Football Union insists its anti-doping programme is robust despite admitting an Aviva Premiership player can go an entire season without being tested.

Figures for the 2016-17 season, published by the governing body yesterday, revealed that a total of 623 tests uncovered no violations within the professional game in England.

However, it has emerged that, while England stars are typically required to return samples eight to 12 times each campaign across club and international duty, that figure drops to as low as zero for a Premiership player.

“Some would be tested three times a season, but some would go a season without being tested,” the RFU’S anti-doping and illicit drugs programme manager Stephen Watkins said.

“If a player did go a season without being tested, we’d flag it with UK Anti-doping to make sure we pick those players up.”

The ongoing absence of positive tests in a sport where strength, speed, power and recovery are critical has raised eyebrows – the only violation ever recorded was the result of a contaminated supplement in 2010-11.

Watkins, however, insists the present system which also includes education, is fit for purpose.

“I speak to a lot of Premiership players and the testing is a deterrent because they simply don’t know when the testers are coming in,” Watkins said.

“If a tester comes in and tests another player, then they are still seeing it.

“Many of our players have played 10 years in the Premiership so will have been tested many times. This is not something we are overly concerned about.” The programme run by UKAD targets players intelligently, resulting in a focus on out of competition and not matchday testing. Priority is given to periods such as pre-season when players are thought to be most likely to use drugs to improve their conditioning and assist in recovery from injury.

Testing levels in rugby union compare unfavourably with some other sports.