Sam Broster banned following positive test for clenbuterol
Press Release
UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) has confirmed that an English rugby union player, Sam Broster, has been suspended from all sport, for two years, following an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV).
Broster, from Tytherington in Cheshire, tested positive for the presence of the anabolic agent clenbuterol following an out-of-competition test at Macclesfield RUFC on 15 July 2014.
Broster argued that the positive finding had been as a result of eating biltong, a South African form of jerky. However, a RFU Disciplinary Panel concluded that there was no basis for reducing the sanction based on no significant fault or negligence. As a result, Broster has been banned from all sport for two years from 16 August 2014 to midnight on 15 August 2016.
UKAD’s Director of Operations, Pat Myhill said:
“All sportspeople must ensure they are aware of, and adhere to, the principle of ‘Strict Liability’ – they are responsible for how and why a prohibited substance is found in their system."
“Food contamination is a risk athletes need to consider when travelling abroad. Meat is an area of particular risk with clenbuterol as a contaminant, having caused adverse analytical findings in the past. However, proving meat contamination is not straightforward, not least because the meat that has been contaminated will, in most cases, have been eaten. Finding evidence to support this defence can therefore be difficult.”
The full written decision can be found under current rule violations on the UKAD website.
For further information on the risk of meat contamination to athletes, visit the Clean Sport Blog.
