Rugby player suspended over banned stimulant

South African Nico Steenkamp, a front-row forward with the Rotherham Titans, tested positive for the banned stimulant methylhexaneamine (MHA) following the club’s Championship contest with Cornish Pirates on January 8.

He was suspended by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) on March 9, the suspension running from the provisional suspension date of January 28 until April 28.

Steenkamp, who lives and works in Peterborough and travels to Rotherham to train and play for the club, had started consuming high energy drink USN Anabolic Nitro to combat fatigue.

Club director Alan McHale said: “Nico bought two lots of this drink, one of which was clean, one of which – we have discovered through our investigations – had been contaminated at the production facility.

“We are supporting the player because we believe he took it accidentally and outside his control. If he or any of our players were found to be taking banned substances deliberately, then they would no longer be at the club.”

The RFU panel wrote: “Even when the player made good faith efforts to leave no reasonable stone unturned, he is still at fault in failing to consult a doctor or anti-doping specialist, or indeed to have the substance analysed. Any athlete who takes a supplement without first taking advice from those with expertise in doping control, places himself at real risk.”