Australian rugby player banned due to steroids
According to the Australian Rugby Union, Newcastle Waratahs club player Luke Troy was cleared from any steroid charges since the two packages seized by the Australian customs were not proven to contain actual prohibited substances.
In February 2006, the first package was intercepted. The sealed container was labeled “21 packets of testosterone-1. It was addressed to the player’s name and came from United Kingdom. The second package was seized in August 2006 by the Australian Customs. The Package was from the United States and addressed to Troy. It was labeled “one bottle x 100 capsules of DHEA 200 containing 200 mg dehydroepiandrosterone per capsule.”
However, the International Rugby Board made an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to make the final decision.
CAS found that Troy deliberately searched the Internet to look for products containing testosterone and DHEA. He even ordered the products and that he intended to use them. However, Australian Customs seized the package before he was able to get hold of it.
CAS added that it was not an essential part of the case that the packages be proven to contain prohibited substances.
This week, CAS made their final decision. According to CAS, they found Troy guilty of an anti-doping violation by attempting to use a prohibited substance.
From Brisbane Times:
AUSTRALIAN club rugby prop Luke Troy is set to become well known in international sporting circles, not for his journeyman playing skills but for the circumstances surrounding a steroid-related two-year ban.
