There leading Irish rugby players have tested positive for banned substances, but one has since been exonerated of any wrong-doing, the IRFU said yesterday. The cases of the other two are being considered by its Drugs Tribunal.
The admission that a third player had tested positive - following confirmation earlier this week of positive tests on two players - came at an IRFU press conference in Dublin. The press conference followed several days of media speculation, sparked off by an article in the Sunday Tribune alleging that Irish rugby players took performance-enhancing drugs.
The allegation was indignantly denied by a number of leading figures in Irish rugby earlier this week. At yesterday's press conference, the president of the IRFU, Mr Noel Murphy, repeated his challenge to the article's author, former Irish international, Neil Francis, to substantiate his claims.
Mr Murphy then outlined the circumstances of two cases which had come into the public arena.
The first concerned an "adverse finding" in a urine sample, tested by the UK Sports Council, which then referred it to the IRFU for further action. The full circumstances were examined by the IRFU's Drugs Tribunal, at the time consisting of the former Chief Justice, Mr Tom Finlay; senior vice-president of the IRFU, Mr Billy Lavery; and IRFU committee member, Dr Barry O'Driscoll. The tribunal ruled there was no breach of regulations.
Mr Murphy said a second case had just come to the union's attention. There was "adverse finding" in a test on an Irish player following a Five Nations match last season.
Although this test was carried out many months ago, the IRFU was only notified of the result by the International Rugby Board (IRB) last Tuesday, he said. This followed the IRB receiving the result from the UK Sports Council.
He said he intended seeking a meeting with the UK Sports Council to discuss the delay in reporting the result. "We would not be conducting this conference in relation to these matters had the reporting procedures between the UK Sports Council and the IRB operated properly."
This case would now be referred to the Drugs Tribunal, he said.
He then added: "I feel it important, given the present circumstances, that we should put on the record that a third case has been referred to the independent tribunal which is currently addressing the matter."
He refused to give any further details concerning the circumstances of the test or the reporting of the result in the third case, referring to the confidentiality clauses in the IRFU's anti-doping regulations and procedures. These prohibit identifying the players involved unless and until a penalty is imposed.
The Drugs Tribunal investigating these two cases, which is set up by the IRFU under its anti-doping regulations, consists of Mr Tom Finlay, Dr Brendan Buckley and Dr Tony O'Neill.