In July 2016 World Rugby has reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Spanish rugby player Luis Alvaro Puentes Rodríguez after his sample tested positive for the prohibited substance Amphetamine. After notification a provisional suspension was ordered and the Athlete failed to respond.
Due to the Spanish Agency for the Protection of Health in Sport (AEPSAD) was declared non-compliant with the WADA Code and the Madrid laboratory was suspended by WADA, World Rugby was requested by AEPSAD to open proceedings against the Athlete and his samples were transferred from Madrid to the WADA-accredited laboratory at Ghent, Belgium.
World Rugby asserted that this is the Athlete’s second anti-doping rule violation and the Athlete has not established that the violation was not intentional nor did he provide any evidence about the circumstances in this case.
Without grounds for a reduced sanction and without the Athlete’s response the World Rugby Judicial Committee decides on 25 February 2017 to impose a 8 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete for his second anti-doping rule violation starting on the date of the provisional suspension, i.e. on 25 July 2016.
