A Newbridge RFC rugby player has become the 13th from Wales to be hit with a drugs ban by regulatory body UK Anti-Doping.
Joseph Phelps, 21, has been banned from all sport for four years after testing positive for anabolic steroid nandrolone.
The player, of Newbridge RFC, has been banned until midnight on June 1, 2019, and was handed the maximum four-year sanction after the UKAD tribunal were unconvinced that Phelps took the steroid unintentionally.
Phelps was subject to an out-of-competition doping test in June 2015, and disclosed to the conducting UKAD officer that he was taking hay fever tablets.
However, after traces of nandrolone were detected in his samples, Phelps admitted to taking Viagra and another supplement to counter symptoms of erectile dysfunction, which he claimed was a result of a testicular injury he had previously suffered.
Through embarrassment, Phelps did not get extensive medical treatment for his condition, but conducted his own research into products to help alleviate the pain, which could get so strong that on occasion he would be unable to walk.
After seeking advice from the owner of a nutrition store in Newbridge, Phelps bought and injected himself in the leg with a clear liquid, called Test Propate, to enhance his natural testosterone. Phelps told the tribunal he “never took the drugs to enhance his sporting performance.”
A report by Professor David Cowan, Director of the Drug Control Centre at King’s College London, confirmed to the tribunal that “the human body does not naturally produce nandrolone in measurable quantities and that nandrolone is a drug administered via deep intra-muscular injection.”
The tribunal also heard that Phelps was “unaware of UKAD and the Prohibited List” and had not received any education on anti-doping.
UK Anti-Doping’s Director of Legal, Graham Arthur said: “Athletes are solely responsible for any banned substance which is found in their system, regardless of how it got there or whether there was an intention to cheat or not.
“This case highlights that all athletes, regardless of level, must be aware, and understand, the risks to their sporting careers if they test positive. They must ensure they manage that risk at all times.”
This article was revised on Wednesday April 6. Mr Phelps is not, and never has been, a Hafodyrynys RFC player. This detail was flagged up by UKAD after they were provided with false information in their decision report. Wording about reduced sentences for intent has also been removed. Any doping violation, whether intentional or not, now results in a four-year ban under the 2015 World Anti-Doping Code.