Rower suspended for doping violation

Doping: A young Irish rower has been suspended from competition for three weeks after testing positive for cannabis.

Doping:A young Irish rower has been suspended from competition for three weeks after testing positive for cannabis.

The Irish Sports Council and Irish Amateur Rowing Union announced today that an in-competition sample provided by the rower revealed the "presence of a prohibited substance or its metabolite, cannabis".

The athlete cannot be named because he is a minor, but has received a severe warning as to the consequences of a second violation.

He has already served the three-week ban, having been on "provisional suspension" pending the hearing with the Irish Sport Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel.

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An amateur Terenure RFC player has also been warned and reprimanded by the Spoprts Council and the IRFU for testing positive for Terbutaline, a substance commonly found in asthma medication.

Mark Mahony, who plays for Terenure RFC, was found to have the prohibited substance in his system after providing a sample at a match against UL Bohemians on February 16th this year.

Terbutaline is included on the World Anti-Doping Agency's (Wada) prohibited substances list.

The Sports Council and the IRFU found that Mahony had failed to renew a "Therapeutic Use Exemption" prior to testing.

In February, Scotland lock Scott MacLeod, also an asthmatic, was reprimanded for testing positive for Terbutaline but was permitted to play the remainder of the Six Nations campaign on similar grounds.