Matt Stevens....2 Year ban ?

**Hillskill** · 22-01-2009, 10:54 AM

I'm no Rugby fan but I think this has been handled really well by both the Player and Bath Rugby club. What I do think is outrageous is the fact he might be banned for 2 years which is the sentence for players caught using performance enhancing drugs. Matt Stevens has confessed to using recreational drugs which will in no way enhance his performance so why be banned to the full letter of the law !?

DJT75 · 22-01-2009, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hillskill

I'm no Rugby fan but I think this has been handled really well by both the Player and Bath Rugby club. What I do think is outrageous is the fact he might be banned for 2 years which is the sentence for players caught using performance enhancing drugs. Matt Stevens has confessed to using recreational drugs which will in no way enhance his performance so why be banned to the full letter of the law !?

Someone on the radio this morning also pointed out that the penalty for missing a drugs test, when they could be using enhancing drugs - is less than this. Madness.

However, he knew the rules before he decided to take the stuff so tough titties really.

**Hillskill** · 22-01-2009, 11:24 AM

While I personally do not look down my nose (pun possibly intended

) if I were Bath I would be very tempted to sack him if he was given the full 2 year ban. Why pay someone wages we they cannot do the job you pay them, even if it is at a reduced rate.
The other issue for me is that I firmly believe Mr Stevens is far from the only sportsman who enjoys recreational drugs, I reckon sport is riddled with them. Had he not been caught I very much believe it would have been business as usual. He cannot now say "Yep, fairplay I enjoy recreational drugs" instead he has to claim its an "addiction".

ste v p · 22-01-2009, 1:17 PM

Most likely he will get the full 2 years if it's cocaine. Wendell Sailor got that sentence for a similar misdemeanor.

When I heard the news, I was quite surprised. Not that a rugby player had been caught taking recreational drugs - this is probably more common than is heard about - but that it was Matt Stevens who was caught. The testing is fairly relaxed in rugby at least below the Premiership but the punishments are severe for positive tests. Perhaps some guys decide that the risk of being caught is negligable.

Hopefully Matt can recover from this incident and return a better player and a stronger person. He still has a long rugby career ahead of him.

Ian J · 22-01-2009, 1:28 PM

I am very anti drug taking but I'm also very anti sportsmen being punished for taking recreational drugs as it's irrelevant to the sport and I don't think that the "bringing the game into disrepute" thing washes either as they could not say anything and no-one would be the wiser.

It seem to me that sporting bodies want to pick and choose which of the country's laws it won't tolerate whilst allowing their members to break others so one player will get be banned for taking recreational drugs in his own home in his own time whilst others are unpunished for GBH, wife beating, drink driving etc

chrisw · 22-01-2009, 1:44 PM

The other thing that makes me laugh, is rugby is awash with booze - from amatuers through to the top internationals which in reality is a much greater health risk than occasional recreational drug use.

I know he needs to be banned if caught, but as somone said above, this whole load of crap about him having a problem is just nonsense - he's probably no different from the however many people do coke on a weekly who we or they would consider as having a problem.

**Steven** · 22-01-2009, 8:18 PM

BBC SPORT | Legal threat to anti-doping code

**Hillskill** · 22-01-2009, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisw

The other thing that makes me laugh, is rugby is awash with booze - from amatuers through to the top internationals which in reality is a much greater health risk than occasional recreational drug use.

I know he needs to be banned if caught, but as somone said above, this whole load of crap about him having a problem is just nonsense - he's probably no different from the however many people do coke on a weekly who we or they would consider as having a problem.

Great point RE: Booze culture in Rugby.

Also agree that there is a huge population of recreational drug users in highly paid professional positions. I have known of people often supplying colleagues with a clean urine sample to pass off for themselves.

ste v p · 23-01-2009, 8:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hillskill

Great point RE: Booze culture in Rugby.

Also agree that there is a huge population of recreational drug users in highly paid professional positions. I have known of people often supplying colleagues with a clean urine sample to pass off for themselves.

They'll have to have quite good apparatus to make it look as though they are passing the urine. They'll also need two samples from each person, an A and B sample.

Not sure if the booze culture in rugby is worse than other sports. Footballers also drink a fair amount but at the highest level they probably play too many games to drink regularly. And of Freddy Flintoff is testament to the cricketing culture. Plus, I think it's someone like David Boon who holds the unofficial record for the number of beers drunk on the flight from Australia to England! I heard Vickery tried to beat it after the 2003 World Cup!

**Hillskill** · 23-01-2009, 8:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ste1000

They'll have to have quite good apparatus to make it look as though they are passing the urine. They'll also need two samples from each person, an A and B sample.

From what I have heard only a single sample was required. This was in the private sector and it was simply a case of smuggling the clean sample into the test.

ste v p · 23-01-2009, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hillskill

From what I have heard only a single sample was required. This was in the private sector and it was simply a case of smuggling the clean sample into the test.

Oh, sorry, I thought you were talking about sport. You have colleagues who have been drug tested? What is the line of work? I can't think of many reasons why drug testing would be undertaken other than in sport and the Armed Forces where there are strict rules on the matter.

**Hillskill** · 23-01-2009, 1:42 PM

Quite a few companies are starting to test their employees, not sure what the state of play is in the UK but I know it happens in the States.

GrahamC · 23-01-2009, 1:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ste1000

Oh, sorry, I thought you were talking about sport. You have colleagues who have been drug tested? What is the line of work? I can't think of many reasons why drug testing would be undertaken other than in sport and the Armed Forces where there are strict rules on the matter.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hillskill

Quite a few companies are starting to test their employees, not sure what the state of play is in the UK but I know it happens in the States.

Powerstation workers are I believe.