A New Zealand rugby player who played internationally between 2006 and 2015 has been banned for two years after a package containing prohibited substances was intercepted by Customs.
A Medsafe investigation into the contents of the package, addressed to the athlete's home, identified an experimental peptide, a testosterone-stimulating peptide and a growth hormone secretagogue. These substances were banned in sport at all times.
The athlete provided evidence the substances were being used to treat a medical condition, diagnosed while playing overseas rather than for performance enhancement purposes. Drug Free Sport New Zealand accepted the doping was unintentional.
Chief executive Rebecca Rolls said the case was a reminder that anti-doping rules applied at all levels of sport.
"It doesn’t matter if an athlete takes a banned substance intentionally to cheat at sport or for other reasons, they are still bound by anti-doping rules.
"This is to protect the integrity of sport by making sure no-one has an unfair advantage, knowingly or otherwise. At all levels, using, importing and buying banned substances risks a ban from all sport."
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