School Boy Caught up in NZ Clenbuterol Investigation

School Boy Caught up in NZ Clenbuterol Investigation

Drug Free Sport New Zealand (DFSNZ) says the four-year ban handed down by New Zealand Rugby to a schoolboy rugby player supports DFSNZ’s focus on increased education and awareness around performance enhancing drugs at all levels of sport.

“The popular perception of doping in sport is that it is only in the upper echelons of the sporting codes” says Drug Free Sport New Zealand Chief Executive Nick Paterson, “But our recent investigation has identified very poor decision making by sportspeople participating well below the elite levels in their codes”.

The internet provides easy access to many performance enhancing substances which are not only potentially harmful but many are also banned under the World Anti-Doping Code.

“Taking prohibited substances to enhance performance at any level of any organised sport is wrong and the NZ Sports Anti-Doping Rules don’t discriminate between top tier international competitors, weekend warriors or those vying for school honours in any particular code”.

Nick Paterson says awareness and education is the key to creating a culture of clean competition across all levels of sport in New Zealand.

“The responsibility for keeping Kiwi sport clean falls on athletes at all levels, their coaches, support staff and medical personnel. Any product offering enhanced performance has the potential to contain a banned substance and the onus is on the athlete to ensure they are playing within the rules”.

Drug Free Sport New Zealand works closely with national sporting bodies, including New Zealand Rugby, to run a variety of awareness and education programmes, and school seminars, as well as providing online advice at drugfreesport.org.nz.

Read the decision from the NZ Rugby Union Judicial Committee here.

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