RFU supports CAS Award for anti-doping rule violation
The Rugby Football Union supports the recent Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) Award which increased an anti-doping rule violation to four years following an attempted trafficking offence in June 2013.
Rugby union player Luke Willmott, registered with Derby RFC, has been banned for four years until 15 August 2017 following a settlement agreed by World Rugby, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the RFU and Willmott.
Willmott has been sanctioned for attempted trafficking after the UK International Crime Team seized 180 vials labelled to contain Human Growth Hormone in a package addressed to his name in June 2013. This information was investigated by UK Anti-Doping who agreed that Willmott had a case to answer and the RFU charged Willmott with breaching the World Rugby Regulations.
In March 2015, an independent RFU Anti-Doping Panel banned Willmott for five years, which was appealed by Willmott and later reduced to two years by an independent Appeal Panel in a decision published in January 2016. This decision was, in turn, appealed to CAS by World Rugby and WADA in February 2016 and a sanction of four years has now been agreed between the parties.
RFU Anti-Doping and Illicit Drugs Programme Manager Stephen Watkins said: “Trafficking is a very serious offence under the World Anti-Doping Code. As a Union, we advocated for a ban of at least four years and support the increase from the decision of the RFU Anti-Doping Appeal Panel. Players should be aware that all doping offences will be treated seriously, irrespective of what level you play at.”
The CAS Award is available to view online here.
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