Anti-Doping

The WRU provides education, awareness and training for players and support staff to ensure that they understand their responsibilities. It also provides ongoing advice and guidance to protect those individuals from inadvertently committing Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRV), and from making ill informed decisions that will impact negatively upon them, their clubs and their families.

The WRU is committed to ensuring that the principles of anti-doping are promoted and championed within our sport to ensure that –

1. the ethics and integrity of our game are upheld and preserved by providing a positive values based education to players, athlete support personnel and parents
2. we safeguard the physical and mental health of our players
3. all players have the opportunity to compete equally
4. all players have the opportunity to develop in the game as ambassadors of clean sport

From 1 January 2021, a new version of the Code is in effect and it’s important that all athletes and athlete support personnel are aware of how this impacts them.

For more information on the changes within the 2021 Code, visit: https://www.ukad.org.uk/2021Code

Under the 2021 Code, an athlete may be classified as being “International-Level”, “National-Level” or a “Recreational Athlete” based on their competition level. Further information on these different categories can be found on the UKAD website

Doping is the act of consuming or using prohibited substances or methods to gain an advantage in sport.

Anti-Doping is aimed to eliminate doping in sport, to create a fair and clean sport environment.

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) are fully committed to promoting Clean Sport and working in partnership with UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) and World Rugby, to protect the integrity of our sport.

How do we do it? Please see the WRU Anti-Doping Strategy

Breaking the anti-doping rules can result in a ban from all sport. The Code outlines the Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs). Players (Athletes) and Player (athlete) Support Personnel need to make sure they are fully aware of these violations, and the consequences of breaking them.

Under the 2021 World Anti-Doping Code, there are eleven anti-doping rule violations. All 11 apply to players and the 7 in bold also apply to player support personnel: (these are taken from the WADA Code):

1. Presence –> up to a 4-year ban
2. Use of Attempted Use –> up to a 4-year ban
3. Evading, refusing, or Failing to Submit to Sample Collection –> up to a 4-year ban
4. Whereabouts failures –> up to a 2-year ban
5. Tampering or attempted tampering –> up to a 4-year ban
6. Possession –> up to a 4-year ban
7. Trafficking or attempted trafficking –> 4-years to a lifetime ban
8. Administration (i.e. without aiding or abetting) –> 4-years to a lifetime ban
9. Complicity or Attempted Complicity –> 2-years to a lifetime ban
10. Prohibited Association –> up to 2-years ban
11. Acts by an Athlete or Other Person to Discourage or Retaliate Against Reporting to Authorities–> 2-years to a lifetime ban

A Player is responsible for anything found in their system, regardless of how it got there or whether there is any intention to cheat. All Players and Player support personnel should make themselves aware of the risks, so they don’t receive an unintentional ban from sport.

Useful information for Players can be found on the UKAD website

UKAD eLearning courses applicable to all roles (including Compete Clean+ for athletes) are also available via the Clean Sport Hub here: https://www.ukad.org.uk/cleansporthub

The Prohibited List

All prohibited substances and methods in Code-compliant sports are outlined in the Prohibited List. The Prohibited List is managed and coordinated by WADA, found on the WADA website.

The List is updated each year, coming into effect on 1st January.

It is possible for WADA to make changes to the List more than once a year, but they must communicate such changes three months before they come into effect. As this list is updated annually, athletes and athlete support personnel should make sure they check it ahead of it coming into effect. More information can be found on https://www.ukad.org.uk/athletes/whats-banned-sport-prohibited-list

Checking Medications

Before taking any medication (whether from a doctor or purchased over the counter), athletes must check to make sure it doesn’t contain any prohibited substances. Medications (ingredients or brand name) can be checked online at Global DRO

It is important to note that medications bought in one country may contain different ingredients to the same branded medication in another country. For more information on checking medications, visit UKAD’s website

Supplements

UKAD always advises a food first approach to nutrition, as there are no guarantees that any supplement product is free from prohibited substances.

We strongly advise you to be very cautious and vigilant when using ANY supplements. There is no guarantee that they are free from banned substances.

Assess the need: Do you need to take a supplement? Is there anything else that could be used instead of a supplement (i.e. more rest, better nutrition)? Seek expert nutritional/dietary advice, you may not need supplements.

Assess the risks: Consider the potential banned substances which could be in the supplement? Complete your research of what is in the product. You should be particularly careful when considering purchasing any supplements online.

Assess the consequences: Consider the consequences that you could face if found to have a prohibited substance in a sample. Participants can face a four-year ban from sport if they are found to have a prohibited substance in a sample provided.

To reduce the risk when choosing to take a supplement, you should use Informed Sport to see if the product has been batch tested.

More advice on managing supplement risks can be found on the UKAD Supplement Hub

THERAPEUTIC USE EXEMPTIONS (“TUEs”)

What is a TUE?

If an athlete with a legitimate medical condition needs to use a prohibited substance or method, they will need to apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE).

This process gives players a means of attaining approval to use a prescribed banned substance/method for the treatment of a medical condition.

This is only accepted if there are no other suitable permitted medications or treatments that can be used, and there is a strict, detailed process to determine this. Athletes can find out more information about the TUE process on the UKAD website and use the TUE Wizard to find out whether they need to apply for a TUE and who to submit their application to.

Find out if you are at a level of competition that requires a TUE to be submitted in advance by checking the UKAD defined TUE Pool here or with your club doctor or physio/medic.

If you are a player and/or support personnel within the defined Testing Pool (PUBLISHED HERE: – www.ukad.org.uk/national-tue-pool you will be required to apply for a TUE IN ADVANCE.

Players who are included in the World Rugby Testing Pool and/or are selected to compete in a World Rugby Tournament (including all World Cups and Qualification matches, U20 tournaments and Sevens World Series) should apply directly to World Rugby

STRICT LIABILITY AND 100% ME

What does it mean? You as a player are solely responsible for any banned substances you use, attempt to use, or any that are found in your system.

This is regardless of how it got into your system or whether there was an intention to cheat.

Not knowing is not an excuse in anti-doping.

100% me is UKAD’s values-based education and information programme, helping athletes meet their anti-doping responsibilities throughout their sporting journey. We want all athletes to be clean, stay clean and believe all others are clean.

For more information on what this means, visit UKAD’s website

UKAD’s 100% me Clean Sport App can also be downloaded from iTunes, Google Play or Windows Live Store, for essential anti-doping information.

Introduction to Testing

Testing is one of the essential components protecting clean sport.

Any UK athlete subject to the anti-doping rules of their sport and non-UK athlete staying, training, residing, entering a competition, or named as a member of a team participating in a competition at any level within the UK is eligible for testing as part of UKAD’s national anti-doping programme. Any athlete eligible for testing can be tested anytime, anywhere.

For more information, please visit https://www.ukad.org.uk/introduction-testing

It is important that everyone plays a part in protecting our Game.  No matter what role you play in sport, if you see something that’s not right it’s your responsibility to report it. Help us keep our sport clean by reporting any suspicions you may have of doping.

📨 pys@reportdoping.com

☎️ Call 0800 032 2332

💻 Search: https://www.ukad.org.uk/protect-your-sport

WRU INTEGRITY HOTLINE

integrity@wru.wales /02920 822200