A young Canterbury club player has been banned from all rugby for 2 years for possessing a human growth hormone.
Finn Hart-Strawbridge pleaded guilty to possessing the drug, GHRP-6, in a case heard by New Zealand Rugby’s Judicial Committee. .
The peptide stimulates the production of human growth hormone and has been found in nutritional supplements.
A 5mg vial of the peptide that the Canterbury Under 19 had in his possession was seized by NZ Customs in October last year.
The substance is prohibited in and out of competition under World Rugby and New Zealand Rugby Anti-Doping Regulations. Hart-Strawbridge said he had ordered the peptide online as a “joke” after reading a series of articles in the New Zealand Herald last year about a reporter who experimented with the drug.
He told the committee he didn’t realise that importing the substance breached the regulations and quickly realised he had made a mistake after attending a DFSNZ education seminar.
In banning the player for 2 years, the committee noted that because of his prompt admission to breaching the regulations, it would impose the ban from 23 September 2014, which was the date when he ordered the substance.
The Judicial Committee said this was an “ill judged and immature action by a young athlete… the lesson that must come from this case is that interception is likely and the consequences are severe.”
In addition, the committee viewed with unease that “there should be such a relaxed attitude to ordering a prohibited substance without recognition of the seriousness of the breach.”
Canterbury Rugby CEO Hamish Riach has expressed his regret at the news of the players’ transgression.
“This is a huge shame for a young player who is showing promise in his rugby career, however this ban gives a strong message to all other players that taking risks with illegal substances will not be tolerated in this sport.
“Finn is not a contracted player with the Canterbury Rugby Union, but we do know him through his involvement in the Under 19 team last year and as a promising club rugby player,” Riach said.
Riach said he supported NZR’s announcement that they would be stepping up the work they already do in drug education, in partnership with Drug Free Sport New Zealand, particularly for these younger age groups.
rugby365