In November 2023 Drug Free Sport New Zealand (DFSNZ) reported an anti-doping rule violation against the rugby player Evaan Reihana after his sample tested positive for the prohibited substance Cocaine.
Following notification the Athlete admitted the violation, denied the intentional use of the substance and accepted the sanction proposed by DFSNZ. DFSNZ accepted that the violation was not intentional and that the use of Cocaine occurred out-of-competition.
The Athlete acknowledged that he had used the substance out-of-competition the day before the competition to cope with a family crisis.
The Tribunal assessed the joint memorandum of counsel and agrees that the Athlete's violation was not intentional and occurred out-of-competition in a context unrelated to sport performance. The Tribunal further determines that there is no need to order a Provisional Suspension and deems that there are no grounds to redact the name of the recreational Athlete from this decision.
Therefore the Tribunal decides on 20 December 2023 to impose a 3 month period of ineligibility on the Athlete, starting on the date of the decision.
