UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) has today confirmed that Ross Bevan from Nelson, near Caerphilly in South Wales, has been suspended from all sport for two years following an anti-doping rule violation. Bevan, who played rugby union for Nelson RFC before signing for rugby league team South Wales Scorpions in February 2015, tested positive for exogenous anabolic androgenic steroid Drostanolone following an out-of-competition test at a squad training session on 9 February 2015. The athlete is banned from all competition from 26 February 2015 until midnight on 25 February 2017. The full written decision can be found under current rule violations.

UKAD’s Director of Legal, Graham Arthur said: “This case is unusual in that Mr Bevan has received a two year ban because of the unique circumstances surrounding the timing of his admitted use of steroids. Although Mr Bevan was bound by the Anti-Doping Rules (ADR) of the Rugby Football League at the time of his test in February 2015, the independent National Anti-Doping Panel concluded that because he used the steroids in 2014, he did not intend to breach the 2015 Rules. He did not therefore have to serve a four year ban.”

“Whilst Mr Bevan is not deemed to have acted intentionally under the 2015 rules, it is very clear that he was at significant fault. UKAD takes the use of steroids in sport extremely seriously.  Our mission is to protect the right to participate in clean sport in this country. Steroids have absolutely no place in sport.”

• This media release was originally published on the UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) internet site on 19 June 2015. You can access the original by clicking here.