The report shows that 19 anti-doping tests were carried out on players categorised as the ‘senior XV’ of Ireland’s international rugby squad, in 2011/12 there were 73, a 74% decrease. Of this season’s 19, two were samples taken in-competition.
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However, the official report released has also shown an increase in testing carried out at provincial, under 20 and academy level.
Dr. Una May director of anti-doping for the Irish Sports Council (ISC), who oversee the tests, explains that the IRFU grouping of players is different from the ISC approach.
“For sure, we have tested more than two international players,” May told TheScore.ie yesterday. “We don’t identify athletes the way the IRFU might, but we would reach them through testing in the RaboDirect Pro12 and the Heineken Cup.”
At provincial level, in-competition testing rose from just six to 38 and out of competition samples almost doubled (to 64) as did academy players (to 11). Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the IRFU added that their anti-doping unit believes a focus on out of competition testing can be more beneficial.
May maintains that no deliberate move has been taken to shift the testing focus from the elite level to developmental, though the provincial academies remain an area the ISC wished to keep close control of.
Across 166 tests in total – a figure which has also increased year on year, from 154 – there was one positive test for a non-performance enhancing substance.
All professional sports have heavy juice usage. Not every player is but lets just say, its popular. You do your juicing in the off season for Rugby and footballers hit the EPO all year round. Bring on the red thumbs, they are like the goggles, they do nothing…..
There was an article on here on the day of the lions squad announcement with photos of all the squad members. Such a collection of square jaws, you’re ever likely to see. Steroids, they’ll shrivel your balls, but you’ll have a jaw like desperate Dan.
A lot of people are very quick to shout steroid abuse. Protein (30g or so) every 3 hours and intense gym training will pack on a huge amount of muscle on an individual. These guys do this for a living, they are not at a desk thinking “damn I haven’t eaten in 5hours”. Try gym training with a few of them and you will see. They are not near as strong as your typical power lifter in the gym but most of them start out in rugby naturally blocky. If you have good genetics and discipline in the kitchen and gym then be prepared for a transformation.
I don’t doubt they work extremely hard in the gym and eat shit loads of the correct foods, but that doesn’t mean steroids, HGH and other illegal supplements aren’t used aswell. You’d want to be very naive to think otherwise. I know of a high number of amateur rugby players taking them right now.
Cash, I’ve trained in the gym with a lot of pro rugby players and I have out lifted all of them. I’m not on steroids. I’m about the same size as a typical back rower. People who don’t go to the gym think anyone with muscle are on the gear. I get it a lot and am tired of it. It’s called hard work and yes your body will respond. Believe me they are not as big as you think they are or as strong. I definitely wouldn’t stand In front of one of them on a rugby pitch. Different types of training.
There is alot more to PED use in pro sport than you are grasping.
For example, catabolism V anabolism. We have some hugely muscular players, with very very low body fat %’s. An understanding of catabolism V anabolism shows the issue there.
There is far more to PED’s than simply strength or size. Hugely accelerated recovery is a massive benefit that won’t be as obvious.
Then referring to the obvious. Androgen receptors, an understanding of androgen receptors does raise questions about the body shapes etc of many modern rugby players.
This is a disgrace. I would be absolutely shocked if rugby DIDN’T have a massive drugs problem. They’re getting bigger every year and there is only so many protein shakes you can devour in a day!
Nail on the head Johnny. Interesting how anti-doping agency are all over indiviidual sports for testing – but team sports seem excempt – despite the financial gains much more significant for team sports.
Its more convenient to point the finger at individuals (Tyson Gay, Lance Armstrong etc) but nobody wants to see the national Rugby team get done for juicing.
You know the rule of thumb – if it’s unbelievable then it probably is.
Donegal, Wales etc. should all be on our eyebrow raised tracker. Notwithstanding the fact that Donegal lost at the weekend – their fitness standards relative to other counties (like those of Wales) cannot be the only explanatory factor.
In Wales case, the muscle definition of some of their players is quite INCREDIBLE. How one could have Hormones that Grow a Human is such a manner is quite the thing.
In France last yr they found rugby had the highest number of positive tests in any sport, cycling included. Makes me laugh to hear Ger Gilroy on newstalk asking if we can believe cycling performances and never once mention it in any other sport, wouldn’t be surprised to hear it in golf to be honest
Probably due to WC taking place in 2011/12 year and players being in camp for an extended period, but not ‘in competition’, where the likes of ERC & 6N conduct drug tests normally.
In any case, it shouldn’t be a national body doing tests, should be an independent entity.
Hmmm some of Wales’ backs look like they would have given Arnold Schwarneggar a run for his money in his 1970s Pumping Iron heyday. His rival back then was of course playing the Incredible Hulk on TV. He was popping stuff like popeye eats spinich. Nuff said.
On golfers taking jungle juice – if Cal Ripley (baseball) was then just about anyone with big drives and low preponderence to RSI should be under suspicion. Like Gillick wrote in the IT last week, it is incredible recoveries from injuries that steroids help with.
Creatine. Creatine is amino Aicids, simple basic proteins, present in many natural foods, such as steak.
There is mountains of data on creatine and there are no issues with people using it.
Creatine. Creatine is amino Aicids, simple basic proteins, present in many natural foods, such as steak.
There is mountains of data on creatine and there are no issues with people using it.
It’s called training. Would say it is highly unlikely in most cases, maybe for the aspiring player not getting his game but for most there is too much to lose. Matt Stevens got banned for two years for doing coke. Rugby is not just about power or endurance or skill but a mixture and varies with the position. Drugs might help but there are plenty of legal substances that give similar effects. Only the really stupid ones would risk it.
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All professional sports have heavy juice usage. Not every player is but lets just say, its popular. You do your juicing in the off season for Rugby and footballers hit the EPO all year round. Bring on the red thumbs, they are like the goggles, they do nothing…..
There was an article on here on the day of the lions squad announcement with photos of all the squad members. Such a collection of square jaws, you’re ever likely to see. Steroids, they’ll shrivel your balls, but you’ll have a jaw like desperate Dan.
A lot of people are very quick to shout steroid abuse. Protein (30g or so) every 3 hours and intense gym training will pack on a huge amount of muscle on an individual. These guys do this for a living, they are not at a desk thinking “damn I haven’t eaten in 5hours”. Try gym training with a few of them and you will see. They are not near as strong as your typical power lifter in the gym but most of them start out in rugby naturally blocky. If you have good genetics and discipline in the kitchen and gym then be prepared for a transformation.
I don’t doubt they work extremely hard in the gym and eat shit loads of the correct foods, but that doesn’t mean steroids, HGH and other illegal supplements aren’t used aswell. You’d want to be very naive to think otherwise. I know of a high number of amateur rugby players taking them right now.
Cash, I’ve trained in the gym with a lot of pro rugby players and I have out lifted all of them. I’m not on steroids. I’m about the same size as a typical back rower. People who don’t go to the gym think anyone with muscle are on the gear. I get it a lot and am tired of it. It’s called hard work and yes your body will respond. Believe me they are not as big as you think they are or as strong. I definitely wouldn’t stand In front of one of them on a rugby pitch. Different types of training.
There is alot more to PED use in pro sport than you are grasping.
For example, catabolism V anabolism. We have some hugely muscular players, with very very low body fat %’s. An understanding of catabolism V anabolism shows the issue there.
There is far more to PED’s than simply strength or size. Hugely accelerated recovery is a massive benefit that won’t be as obvious.
Then referring to the obvious. Androgen receptors, an understanding of androgen receptors does raise questions about the body shapes etc of many modern rugby players.
This is a disgrace. I would be absolutely shocked if rugby DIDN’T have a massive drugs problem. They’re getting bigger every year and there is only so many protein shakes you can devour in a day!
Any extra shake is 20 minutes on the bowl….
Nail on the head Johnny. Interesting how anti-doping agency are all over indiviidual sports for testing – but team sports seem excempt – despite the financial gains much more significant for team sports.
Its more convenient to point the finger at individuals (Tyson Gay, Lance Armstrong etc) but nobody wants to see the national Rugby team get done for juicing.
You know the rule of thumb – if it’s unbelievable then it probably is.
Donegal, Wales etc. should all be on our eyebrow raised tracker. Notwithstanding the fact that Donegal lost at the weekend – their fitness standards relative to other counties (like those of Wales) cannot be the only explanatory factor.
In Wales case, the muscle definition of some of their players is quite INCREDIBLE. How one could have Hormones that Grow a Human is such a manner is quite the thing.
In France last yr they found rugby had the highest number of positive tests in any sport, cycling included. Makes me laugh to hear Ger Gilroy on newstalk asking if we can believe cycling performances and never once mention it in any other sport, wouldn’t be surprised to hear it in golf to be honest
Probably due to WC taking place in 2011/12 year and players being in camp for an extended period, but not ‘in competition’, where the likes of ERC & 6N conduct drug tests normally.
In any case, it shouldn’t be a national body doing tests, should be an independent entity.
Hmmm some of Wales’ backs look like they would have given Arnold Schwarneggar a run for his money in his 1970s Pumping Iron heyday. His rival back then was of course playing the Incredible Hulk on TV. He was popping stuff like popeye eats spinich. Nuff said.
On golfers taking jungle juice – if Cal Ripley (baseball) was then just about anyone with big drives and low preponderence to RSI should be under suspicion. Like Gillick wrote in the IT last week, it is incredible recoveries from injuries that steroids help with.
“Like Gillick wrote in the IT last week, it is incredible recoveries from injuries that steroids help with”
And we’ve seen some remarkable ones recently on the Rugby pitch….
I was alluding to that. A doctor with a record in Melbourne with AFL teams helped.
Recently the Aussie Parliament published an interesting report on doping. They didn’t back up their claims so questions remain unanswered.
Why would you test a unsuccessful side ?
We did feck all this year , if there on drugs there on bad ones!
No it isn’t many tests and the tests are all urine based.
Gary Player has campaigned on the negative effects of steroids and lesser substances such as creatine on younger aspiring Boks.
The highest risk category for abuse are 15 to 20 year olds.
Until there is blood passporting you simply cannot say rugby or any other professional sport is clean.
In sport at the highest level where skills broadly match each other there will always be a temptation to get an edge at any price.
Creatine. Creatine is amino Aicids, simple basic proteins, present in many natural foods, such as steak.
There is mountains of data on creatine and there are no issues with people using it.
Creatine. Creatine is amino Aicids, simple basic proteins, present in many natural foods, such as steak.
There is mountains of data on creatine and there are no issues with people using it.
166 tests is a lot considering The amount of pro players in the country
It’s called training. Would say it is highly unlikely in most cases, maybe for the aspiring player not getting his game but for most there is too much to lose. Matt Stevens got banned for two years for doing coke. Rugby is not just about power or endurance or skill but a mixture and varies with the position. Drugs might help but there are plenty of legal substances that give similar effects. Only the really stupid ones would risk it.