PEDs in rugby

[danmorrissey]

Why isn't the testing sufficient ?

 

[Feicarsinn]

Could you elaborate?

 

[danmorrissey]

Well when you compare the amount of testing done on Olympic athletes compared to rugby players I find that it's not very hard for rugby players to get away with doping if they really wanted to?

 

[ratsapprentice]

What are the testing procedures?

...specifically?

You think it's difficult for Olympic athletes to get away with it?

It's ****ing rife.

 

[Feicarsinn]

I don't really know the testing procedures. I know that's it's a fairly regular occurrence for players to be tested immediately after games, but where do you think rugby is failing?

 

[danmorrissey]

Well for one in rugby they rarely test players when they're injured, it's only recently they've began to do this and they test players every now and then after matches but I find it hard to believe that more big name players haven't been caught? And when you compare it to Olympic testing when they come to athletes houses randomly and won't leave without them giving a fresh urine or blood sample

 

[ratsapprentice]

I think you're being naive if you think that Olympic testing is actually that stringent.

Testing is there to appease those that take issue with PEDs not to stop athletes taking PEDs.

 

[danmorrissey]

I suppose that's a good point , still surprised though that virtually nome of the big name players in rugby have been caught out,the likes of ferris , etzebeth and spies are all surely too good to be true ?

 

[ratsapprentice]

I think PED's are probably very commonly used for recovery from injuries but if you compare rugby players to guys from the NFL (where PEDs are clearly almost universal) then it's not really that convincing.
...For every Etzebeth you have a Parling - Every Spies a Morgan etc.

I'd be surprised if there was anything more than a significant minority using PEDs to boost performance outside of injury recovery.

I'm in the "I don't give a **** what they take as long as it isn't going to kill them" camp, though.

 

[Feicarsinn]

To be honest, I don't believe it's that rampant at the professional level. The modern rugby player has every aspect of his physique monitored by staff at his club/province/whatever from the time he enters the academy. It'd be very noticeable to those involved his started taking supplements. So either it'd have to be happened right across the team or only in very isolated cases. Any sort of sporadic testing would make the former highly unlikely.

Just below the pro level is another matter altogether of course. I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest (and I'd say we've all heard stories that'd corroborate it) that there's widespread illegal substance use in leagues like the AIL, etc.

 

[danmorrissey]

Couldn't agree more with you on that one, funnily enough a player on the cork con squads nickname is actually 'juice' he also happens to me a man mountain.. Coincidence ?

 

[gaston le gaff]

The TOP 14 FINAL every player was tested and was non positive i did the drug testing 2007 WC in France we tested 8 players per game every game throughout the whole championship, not one positive, often the controllers turn up at training and test many players but it is rare for anyone to be positive.. people talk but there is little going on the few that have been caught its more recreactional drugs than PED's the fact that hardly anyone is tested positive makes little news so not often is it reported in the press on the whole rugby is a clean sport, can't say the same for the Olympics!!!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Mega bump, but didn't want to make a new thread lol


PRL/RFU have found their annual scapegoat:
https://www.rugbypass.com/news/rfu-...player-banned-for-prohibited-substance-mayor/40yr old retired player, playing amateur rugby now, caught buying TRT pens on the internet banned for 4 years


The sports clean, lads! Look we caught the only guy using!

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Didn't an ex Irish lock get banned and it was covered up from the press?

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/form... revealed that,title-winning 2014 Six Nations.

 

[j-dawg]

Some of the guys will have hormone doctors and all sorts helping them out. You only have to look at certain players playing in France who travel all the way back to the U.K. every week to see a ‘physio’

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Mega bump, but didn't want to make a new thread lol


PRL/RFU have found their annual scapegoat:
https://www.rugbypass.com/news/rfu-...player-banned-for-prohibited-substance-mayor/40yr old retired player, playing amateur rugby now, caught buying TRT pens on the internet banned for 4 years


The sports clean, lads! Look we caught the only guy using!

Any news about stripping Sale of the 2006 Premiership rugby title and giving it to Tigers?

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

Didn't an ex Irish lock get banned and it was covered up from the press?

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/former-ireland-forward-copped-two-year-ban-for-steroid-use/#:~:text=It has been revealed that,***le-winning 2014 Six Nations.

if you are talking about tuohy his story makes sense. Try SARMs once you are playing career cause you are too scared to mess are round with steroids. It's the only thing that makes any sense considering how easy it is to get a script for testosterone if you have any amount of money and are above 30. The side effects of SARMs appear to be much more volatile than those of TRT dosage test.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I thought Tuohy was on full blown steds rather than SARMs? But only tested positive after he'd already retired (and was using them to try and heal the injury that had forced the retirement?)

Some of the guys will have hormone doctors and all sorts helping them out. You only have to look at certain players playing in France who travel all the way back to the U.K. every week to see a ‘physio’

Yeah, have heard it's a piece of **** to get on TRT in America, presume there's plenty of "anti aging" clinics here where you claim to have low moods/low libido/low energy, pay your money, and get your prescription for testosterone

 

[j-dawg]

I thought Tuohy was on full blown steds rather than SARMs? But only tested positive after he'd already retired (and was using them to try and heal the injury that had forced the retirement?)


Yeah, have heard it's a piece of **** to get on TRT in America, presume there's plenty of "anti aging" clinics here where you claim to have low moods/low libido/low energy, pay your money, and get your prescription for testosterone

Check out the ‘bigger faster stronger’ documentary by mark bell. It’s getting on a bit now but he pretty much just walks into a clinic and gets hgh there and then. I don’t know how it would work in this country but there’s some pretty obvious physiques up for speculation.

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

Tuohy tested positive for ligandrol which is a SARM.

Clarence Kennedy, an Irish weightlifter, had a good video on doping in competitive sport. Basically about his decision not to compete since living in a nation that tested made being a competitive weightlifter almost impossible. He said that the window for okay testosterone levels is well within the dosages an athlete that needs to worry about endurance would be taking. This is why he couldn't compete in weightlifting since to be competitive he takes higher doses. Personally, I think this is why we see sprinters get caught the most of any high profile sports. They come from countries that care about testing and they do a sport that you can't be willing to kill your cholesterol. So they flirting with the positive threshold.
Why I'm Against Anti-Doping Part 1
Why I'm Against Anti-Doping Part 2 - Responding to Arguments

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Tuohy tested positive for ligandrol which is a SARM

Fair play, I thought it was HGH but only skim read an article before
Seems a waste - why go SARMs when you can just go balls to the wall (unless his retirement was actually gonna be a sabbatical while he healed)

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

Seems a waste - why go SARMs when you can just go balls to the wall (unless his retirement was actually gonna be a sabbatical while he healed)

that's what I'm saying. it just seems high risk low reward compared to what he could have done.

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/pro-...-anti-doping-agency-report-saaidia-colomiers/
Clearly it’s just amateurs and second tier pros doping.

#keeprugbyclean

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

https://www.americasrugbynews.com/2023/01/05/three-chilean-internationals-facing-doping-charges/
Seems Chile has more stringent testing than any other nation.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

https://www.americasrugbynews.com/2023/01/05/three-chilean-internationals-facing-doping-charges/
Seems Chile has more stringent testing than any other nation.

It must be roughly 15-20% of their professional players have tested positive in the past year. They are unusually physically developed for Tier2 players in my opinion (at least for a nation who only recently joined the ranks of professionalism). They kind of went from flabby amateurs to convincing looking professionals overnight (whereas that as taken Uruguay about 10 years), but the same could equally be said for their skillset and behind the scenes they have been outstanding. So maybe improved conditioning went hand in hand with improved skill development and we are seeing and apples from the fringe of the national side.

Plus the Chilean appearance is nothing out of the ordinary compared to Tier1 and some more established Tier2 players. It does make me wonder how commonplace PEDs are in Tier1 and how little testing may be done. But I may be being overly cynical.

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

It must be roughly 15-20% of their professional players have tested positive in the past year. They are unusually physically developed for Tier2 players in my opinion (at least for a nation who only recently joined the ranks of professionalism). They kind of went from flabby amateurs to convincing looking professionals overnight (whereas that as taken Uruguay about 10 years), but the same could equally be said for their skillset and behind the scenes they have been outstanding. So maybe improved conditioning went hand in hand with improved skill development and we are seeing and apples from the fringe of the national side.

Plus the Chilean appearance is nothing out of the ordinary compared to Tier1 and some more established Tier2 players. It does make me wonder how commonplace PEDs are in Tier1 and how little testing may be done. But I may be being overly cynical.

I think a lot has to go from being part time to full time. I think that feeling (on this board at least) is that steroids are rampant in the sport. I think the issue is that in Chile they went from being untested amateurs to professionals under WADA protocol. A bit like when amateurs get popped for doping at low level cycling races.

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/68019295
I thought he was the one sticking it in the team nutritionist not the other way around

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Clen as well,
Just wanted to look extra shredded in the team photos - let the man live

 

[Tooting Carmen]

Gareth Davies is the one who looks the most suspicious to me. His muscles are well out of proportion to his natural physique:

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Gareth Davies is the one who looks the most suspicious to me. His muscles are well out of proportion to his natural physique:
View attachment 18746View attachment 18747

I mean we know that the WRU gave PEDs to Rhys Webb. Don’t know why they wouldn’t give them to Gareth Davies too.