An Irish pro has responded to an anti doping interview with a comment that nails the mismatch between dope testing in Irish rugby Vs Irish cycling and athletics.
Dope testing mismatch in Irish cycling Vs Irish rugby
Doping in Irish rugby has been in the news this week following the signing by Munster Rugby of South African Gerbrandt Grobler.
The 25-year-old served a two year steroids ban. He was signed by Munster last summer but got injured and only returned to playing competitively last Friday.
Many people, Paul Kimmage included, have questioned how the IRFU can approve such a signing and still claim to take a zero tolerance approach to doping.
After a week of controversy, The Irish Examiner interviewed Dr Una May, the director of participation and ethics for Sport Ireland.
She said the signing was very clear for Sport Ireland. The player had served his ban and was free to play. Beyond that, she said it was not the job of Sport Ireland to make moral judgements.
Advertisement
And she then went on to speak about dope testing in Irish rugby, having been the head of the national anti-doping programme for 17 years.
“Rugby would always be considered on the higher end of risk purely because of the physicality of the sport,” she told sports writer Cathal Dennehy.
“We’d be very aware of the physiological profile of players and it shows a much greater emphasis on strength and bulk.
“Within the context rugby is fairly highly tested. The IRFU is the only governing body that pays for tests in addition to the national programme.”
The risk profiling is one of the most perplexing aspects of Irish sport.
Approx 15 full time pros between cycling and athletics - 405 tests
Approx 150 full time pros in rugby - 113 tests.
Number 1 sport for positive tests in UK - rugby.— Brian Murphy (@btmurphy) January 20, 2018
Related News
When I was cycling I was always amazed how often I was tested... often twice a month - while many my rugby/gaa colleagues have never been tested
— Siobhan (@siobhandervan) January 20, 2018
Rugby players are not compelled to comply with any whereabouts programme; as cyclists do. But May said players were still tested out of competition.
“We’re quite targeted in rugby," said Una May. "We don’t go in and look for random players. We generally go in with a player in mind to test.”
Dennehy then pointed out in his interview piece that UK Anti Doping regarded rugby as the highest risk sport for doping. He added of the 60 people serving doping bans in Britain, 29 play rugby.
He then pointed out that in 2016 some 113 dope tests were done by Sport Ireland in rugby. There were 250 in athletics and 155 in cycling.
When Dennehy shared his story on Twitter, the Irish international 400 metre runner Brian Murphy made this succinct summary of how well tested Irish rugby is compared to cycling and athletics.
“The risk profiling is one of the most perplexing aspects of Irish sport,” he said.
“Approximately 15 full time pros between cycling and athletics - 405 tests.
“Approximately 150 full time pros in rugby - 113 tests.
“Number 1 sport for positive tests in UK - rugby.”
Former Irish international cyclist Siobhan Dervan agreed.
“When I was cycling,” she said, “I was always amazed how often I was tested.
"(It was) often twice a month - while many my rugby/GAA colleagues have never been tested.”
Topics
