In July 2016 World Rugby has reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Sri Lankan rugby player Rochana Hettiarachchi after his sample tested positive for the prohibited substance tamoxifen. After notification a provisional suspension was ordered. The Athlete filed a statement in his defence and he was heard for the World Rugby Judicial Committee.
The Athlete gave a prompt admission, he denied the intentional use of the substance tamoxifen and could not explain the presence of the substance in his system. However he admitted that previously he had purchased the supplement Dianabol (metandienone) and a medication Liv52 in order to recover from an injury after he was misinformed that this supplement was ‘safe’.
The Athlete explained that he had received minimal ant-doping education and he was not capable of reading or understanding in English when the anti-doping booklets and relevant documents were in English and not in the Sinhalese language.
Considering the Athlete’s explanation the Judicial Committee is comfortably satisfied that the Athlete was engaged in conduct which he knew constituted an anti-doping rule violation or knew that there was a significant risk that the conduct might constitute or result in an anti-doping rule violation and manifestly disregarded that risk. Also the Committee finds that this case has little if anything to do with a lack of education.
Without grounds for a reduced sanction the World Rugby Judicial Committee decides on 20 February 2017 to impose a 4 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete starting on the date of the provisional suspension, i.e. on 21 July 2016.
