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Anti-Doping Agency appointed for RWC 2007

Written by Ramaz Mitaishvili
Sunday, 10 June 2007
Rugby World Cup Limited has announced the appointment of the French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD) as the organisation responsible for sample collection and sample analysis for the Rugby World Cup 2007 Anti-Doping programme in France. The AFLD is the leading Anti-Doping Agency in France and will provide qualified and experienced sample collection officers who will be responsible for witnessing and processing the samples collected throughout the Tournament as part of a comprehensive Anti-Doping programme. The appointment follows a recent statement from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) congratulating the IRB on its extensive and successful Anti-Doping programme and in particular for the proposed Rugby World Cup 2007 Anti-Doping programme. Zero tolerance “The International Rugby Board and Rugby World Cup Limited is committed to a zero-tolerance policy towards drug cheats in the Game and the appointment of the leading Anti-Doping agency in France to deliver the Rugby World Cup 2007 programme further underlines this stance,” said IRB Anti-Doping Manager Tim Ricketts. “All samples collected during the Tournament will be analysed by WADA accredited laboratories including the AFLD laboratory located in Chatenay-Malabry, Paris. The results from all samples will be available to Rugby World Cup Limited on an expedited basis during the Tournament.” “Should any adverse analytical findings be returned an accelerated judicial process will apply and players who return a positive finding will have their hearings ordinarily within a matter of days. All hearings will be dealt with in accordance with the Tournament Anti-Doping programme,” added Ricketts. Extensive testing programme The testing programme for Rugby World Cup 2007 started immediately after Rugby World Cup 2003 with players from the world’s top 20 ranked Unions being regularly tested on an out of competition basis. The IRB’s out of competition testing programme focused on players in the IRB’s Registered Testing Pool and has to date also incorporated an additional 40-50 tests annually which are conducted by WADA. In the last 12 months over 30 Rugby World Cup 2007 qualification matches were subject to doping controls. “Out of competition testing with no advance notice has been conducted across all Rugby World Cup 2007 participating Unions since the last Rugby World Cup in Australia regardless of where their national team players are located geographically. Players have been tested at their homes, training venues, gyms and while in camp with their national teams,” added Ricketts Out of competition testing The AFLD, established in October 2006, will take over testing previously conducted by the French Ministry of Youth and Sport, including the conducting of regular no notice out of competition testing on the France national team in conjunction with the IRB. International players who play for other countries and who are based in France will also be subject to random testing under the French national testing programme. The combination of the IRB, Rugby World Cup and AFLD's comprehensive Anti-Doping programmes will help prepare the way for Rugby World Cup 2007 to be contested on a level playing field. "This association with the IRB and Rugby World Cup is a symbol of the AFLD’s continued commitment to doping-free sport in association with international federations who hold their international competitions in France. The relationship between the AFLD, the IRB and Rugby World Cup Limited is one of mutual confidence and cooperation which will ensure a world class testing programme is delivered at Rugby World Cup 2007," said AFLD President Pierre Bordry. http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/EN/Home/News/070607+dr+wc7+anti-doping.htm !