Brandon Staples of Yorkshire Carnegie RFC has been suspended from all sport for a period of four years following an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV). Mr Staples tested positive for the presence of the prohibited substances Dehydrochloromethyl-testosterone and its metabolite, as well as metabolites of Metandienone, and Stanozolol. He was tested following a training session on 9 August 2017.

Mr Staples claimed the substances had got into his system through a protein shake he ingested over a three-week period in South Africa earlier in the year, but was unable to provide any evidence to support this claim. Mr Staples appealed the First Instance decision of the National Anti-Doping Panel (NADP). The NADP Appeal Tribunal appointed to hear this matter dismissed the appeal, upholding the imposition of a four-year ban.

Nicole Sapstead, UKAD’s Chief Executive, said: “All athletes compete under a condition of strict liability, and are solely responsible for the substances found in their bodies. The market for supplements, particularly those purchased online, has grown significantly in recent years and it is the duty of each athlete to check all ingredients against WADA’s Prohibited List.”

The period of ineligibility shall apply from the date of the provisional suspension (7 September 2017) until midnight on 6 September 2021. The initial judgement can be downloaded by clicking here, and the appeal judgment by clicking here.

• This media release was published by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) on 18 April 2018. Click here for the original.