Rugby union player Dean Ashfield, of Clevedon RFC, has been suspended from all sport for a period of four years following an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV). Mr Ashfield tested positive for the presence of the prohibited substances drostanolone, 17-epitrenbolone (a metabolite of trenbolone), and clenbuterol, following an In-Competition test on 15 March 2017, after a match against Bridgwater and Albion RFC. Mr Ashfield was charged with an ADRV pursuant to Article 21.2.1 of World Rugby’s Anti-Doping Rules – “Presence of a Prohibited Substance or its Metabolites or Markers in a player’s Sample”.

UKAD’s Head of Operations, Pat Myhill, said: “It’s imperative athletes at all levels understand and adhere to the rules and responsibilities around anti-doping. Not only is taking such a cocktail of performance enhancing drugs cheating and completely against the spirit of sport, it also has the potential to be hugely damaging to health. We have seen a number of cases recently which have involved steroids, and both athletes and the wider public need to be aware of the long-term effects of taking them, including heart, kidney and liver problems.”

The period of ineligibility shall apply from 10 April 2017 until midnight on 9 April 2021. To read the full judgement, please click here.

• This media release was published by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) on 13 August 2018. Click here for the original.