In December 2015 World Rugby has reported anti-doping rule violations against the Botswanan rugby players Lesedi Chery and Emmanuel Ntshiwa after their samples tested positive for the prohibited substance Oxilofrine (methylsynephrine).
After notification a provisional suspension was ordered. The Athletes filed a statementen in theire defence and were heard for the World Rugby Judicial Committee.
Both Athlete’s admitted the violation, denied the intentional use of the substance and stated that they had used supplements during their training in South Africa. These supplements were purchased by their coach and provided by a local retailer of supplements. According to the retailer the purchased supplement Berserker was ‘athlete friendly’ and ‘legal’.
The Athlete’s coach acknowledged his failure and stated that he had researched the product Berserker on the internet and conducted a superficial check on the Prohibited List for the substance Methylsynepphrine and not for Oxilofrine, assuming hereafter that the product was safe.
Considering the statements World Rugby and the Judicial Committee accepts that the Athletes not intentionally ingested the prohibited substance and that the supplement Berserker was the source of the oxilofrine. The Committee concludes that both Athletes failed to demonstrate that they acted with no significant fault or negligence.
Therefore the World Rugby Judicial Committee decides on 22 April 2016 to impose a 2 year period of ineligibility on the Athletes Lesedi Chery and Emmanuel Ntshiwa, starting on the date of the provisional suspension, i.e. on 11 December 2015.
In a postcript the World Rugby Judicial Committee notes that the Botswana Rugby Union clearly failed in implementing anti-doping education programmes for rugby. It recommends that the Union implement such an anti-doping education programme and report to World Rugby about the details and progress of this implemented programme.
