Rugby league player banned for four years

Press Release

15th January 2019

Rugby league player James Duerden, then of Barrow Raiders RLFC, has been suspended from all sport for a period of four years following an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV).

Mr Duerden tested positive for the presence of the prohibited substances 2α-methyl-5α-androstan-3α-οl-17-one (a metabolite of drostanolone) and 19-norandrosterone, commonly referred to as ‘19-NA’ (a metabolite of nandrolone), following an out-of-competition test on 14 December 2017, during a training session at Craven Park.

Mr Duerden was charged with an ADRV pursuant to Article 2.1 of the Anti-Doping Rules – “Presence of a Prohibited Substance or its Metabolites or Markers in an Athlete’s Sample”.

UKAD’s Chief Executive, Nicole Sapstead, said: “It’s imperative that all athletes, at all levels of competitive sport, understand and adhere to the concept of strict liability.

“Nandrolone and drostanolone are steroids, prohibited at all times as per the WADA Prohibited List, not only for performance enhancing reasons, but for health reasons too. Steroids can have hugely damaging effects, including causing long-term heart, liver and kidney problems.”

The period of ineligibility shall apply from the date of sample collection (14 December 2017) until midnight on 13 December 2021. To read the full judgement, please click here.

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