Two year ban for Thompson

NAMIBIAN rugby player Roger Thompson has been banned for two years by the International Rugby Board, following a doping offence.

The IRB issued a statement on Monday, saying that Thompson had been tested positive for an anabolic steroid after a random doping test on December 18, 2006. The IRB ruled that the period of ineligibility would run from January 30, 2007 to January 30, 2009, meaning that Thompson effectively still has about 16 months to serve.Thompson’s father, Robert, said he was very disappointed with the outcome and felt that the IRB had already made up their mind.”We had a very good case and we proved exceptional circumstances which they did not take into account.For instance, Roger had been tested about four times before and he never tested positive.Also we feel that the Namibia Rugby Union did not do enough to inform the players of banned substances,” he said.Thompson said his son just wanted to play rugby and had been devastated by the ban.”This has destroyed his whole life and things are very bad now.Roger needs to get rehabilitation now.We must pick up the pieces so that Roger can start a new life,” he said.According to the IRB’s website, Thompson received a few tablets from his friend and Western Suburbs club mate Marshall Titus on December 18, to treat a serious groin injury.Thompson said he did not know what was in the tablets, and all he knew was that Titus had used it before when he had a shoulder injury.Later the same day, a Doping Control Officer from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) turned up unannounced at Thompson’s home to undertake an out-of-competition sample collection on behalf of the International Rugby Board.This sample later tested positive for Epimetendiol, a metabolite of methandienone, an anabolic androgenic steroid and a prohibited substance under the anti-doping regulations of the World Anti-Doping Code.The IRB then held a hearing via telephonic conference on May 3, when verbal evidence was submitted by Thompson, Karl Kruger of the Namibia Rugby Board and Corrie Mensah, the president of Western Suburbs Rugby Club.Here Thompson claimed, and the NRU confirmed, that he had received no information concerning doping from the NRU.Thompson acknowledged that he should have taken more care, and put forward a number of factors as mitigating circumstances.These included his previous good character and the fact that he came from a disadvantaged background where he had been a role model in his community.His amateur status and lack of knowledge of doping matters and his belief that he was using “natural” supplements and had no intention of using prohibited substances.The level of methandienone in his system was “marginal” and not reflective of prolonged use or intent to enhance sport performance, he argued.He submitted that he generally followed the advice of team doctors concerning supplement use, while he co-operated fully with the sample collection process, including his open declaration of the substances he was using.Other mitigating factors included the lack of information on doping issues conveyed by the NRU, and the support of Western Suburbs Rugby Club, while Thompson also made a commitment to raise consciousness of anti-doping rules through better education and dissemination of information.The IRB however, found that no mitigating circumstances existed, that Thompson’s ignorance did not constitute any mitigating circumstances and that it had no option but to impose a two-year ban.During this period Thompson may not participate in any rugby match authorised or organised by the IRB or any of its member bodies, such as the NRU.The IRB acknowledged that the sanction imposed might seem harsh, but said that all players, at whatever level of the game, are subject to the same rules.It however added that the NRU should have done more to educate its players better about anti-doping rules.”It is, indeed, unfortunate that, once again in an anti-doping rule violation case, the Union has done little if anything to educate its players and team support personnel.The Union’s failure does not, however, detract from the personal responsibility which each athlete bears to ensure that he or she does not violate anti-doping rules,” it stated.Thompson, who is only 23 years old, is one of Namibia’s most exciting rugby players.He represented Namibia at Under-21 level and as a Sevens player, while he also gained 10 caps for the senior national team.He played a big part in helping Namibia qualify for the 2007 Rugby World Cup.In Namibia’s first-leg African qualifying final against Morocco in Windhoek last year, Roger helped Namibia score a 25-7 victory after scoring a great individual try.namibiasport.com.naThe IRB ruled that the period of ineligibility would run from January 30, 2007 to January 30, 2009, meaning that Thompson effectively still has about 16 months to serve.Thompson’s father, Robert, said he was very disappointed with the outcome and felt that the IRB had already made up their mind.”We had a very good case and we proved exceptional circumstances which they did not take into account.For instance, Roger had been tested about four times before and he never tested positive.Also we feel that the Namibia Rugby Union did not do enough to inform the players of banned substances,” he said.Thompson said his son just wanted to play rugby and had been devastated by the ban.”This has destroyed his whole life and things are very bad now.Roger needs to get rehabilitation now.We must pick up the pieces so that Roger can start a new life,” he said.According to the IRB’s website, Thompson received a few tablets from his friend and Western Suburbs club mate Marshall Titus on December 18, to treat a serious groin injury.Thompson said he did not know what was in the tablets, and all he knew was that Titus had used it before when he had a shoulder injury.Later the same day, a Doping Control Officer from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) turned up unannounced at Thompson’s home to undertake an out-of-competition sample collection on behalf of the International Rugby Board.This sample later tested positive for Epimetendiol, a metabolite of methandienone, an anabolic androgenic steroid and a prohibited substance under the anti-doping regulations of the World Anti-Doping Code.The IRB then held a hearing via telephonic conference on May 3, when verbal evidence was submitted by Thompson, Karl Kruger of the Namibia Rugby Board and Corrie Mensah, the president of Western Suburbs Rugby Club.Here Thompson claimed, and the NRU confirmed, that he had received no information concerning doping from the NRU.Thompson acknowledged that he should have taken more care, and put forward a number of factors as mitigating circumstances.These included his previous good character and the fact that he came from a disadvantaged background where he had been a role model in his community.His amateur status and lack of knowledge of doping matters and his belief that he was using “natural” supplements and had no intention of using prohibited substances.The level of methandienone in his system was “marginal” and not reflective of prolonged use or intent to enhance sport performance, he argued.He submitted that he generally followed the advice of team doctors concerning supplement use, while he co-operated fully with the sample collection process, including his open declaration of the substances he was using.Other mitigating factors included the lack of information on doping issues conveyed by the NRU, and the support of Western Suburbs Rugby Club, while Thompson also made a commitment to raise consciousness of anti-doping rules through better education and dissemination of information.The IRB however, found that no mitigating circumstances existed, that Thompson’s ignorance did not constitute any mitigating circumstances and that it had no option but to impose a two-year ban.During this period Thompson may not participate in any rugby match authorised or organised by the IRB or any of its member bodies, such as the NRU.The IRB acknowledged that the sanction imposed might seem harsh, but said that all players, at whatever level of the game, are subject to the same rules.It however added that the NRU should have done more to educate its players better about anti-doping rules.”It is, indeed, unfortunate that, once again in an anti-doping rule violation case, the Union has done little if anything to educate its players and team support personnel.The Union’s failure does not, however, detract from the personal responsibility which each athlete bears to ensure that he or she does not violate anti-doping rules,” it stated.Thompson, who is only 23 years old, is one of Namibia’s most exciting rugby players.He represented Namibia at Under-21 level and as a Sevens player, while he also gained 10 caps for the senior national team.He played a big part in helping Namibia qualify for the 2007 Rugby World Cup.In Namibia’s first-leg African qualifying final against Morocco in Windhoek last year, Roger helped Namibia score a 25-7 victory after scoring a great individual try.namibiasport.com.na