ANTI-DOPING

UK Anti-Doping provides Guidance on the Testing Process.

There are eleven types of anti-doping Rule Violations. All eleven types apply to athletes. Some also apply to athlete support personnel and others.

You can find out more about ADRVs from the UKAD website here.

If you have a concern with regard to possible doping activity, UKAD provide a number of channels through which this can be reported.

For more on this please see this page on the UKAD website.

Remember to check all medications using Global DRO at www.globaldro.com where you can search by ingredients or brand name.

The Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) process is a means by which a player can obtain approval to use a prohibited substance or method for the treatment of a legitimate medical condition.

Players should advise all medical personnel (GPs, Team Doctors) of their obligation to abide by the anti-doping rules and that any medical treatment received must not violate these rules.

When prescribed a substance or method, players should find out whether the medication is prohibited by checking the Global DRO site. If the medication is not prohibited, players can start using the prescribed medication or treatment.

A TUE is required for players at the following levels of competition:

1. Players in UK Anti-Doping’s National Registered Testing Pool
2. Scotland Men’s Squads (Senior XV, Scotland A, Sevens, U20s)
3. Scotland Women & Scotland Women 7s
4. URC teams (Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors)
5. Celtic Challenge Teams (Edinburgh Rugby Women and Glasgow Warriors Women)

International Players, prior to participating in any International Match or International Tournament organised by World Rugby, must obtain a TUE from World Rugby’s TUE Committee in advance of the administration of the Prohibited Substance.

TUEs for all of other levels listed above should be submitted to UK Anti-Doping. Only in emergency situations (e.g. allergic reaction, exacerbation of asthma, onset of bell’s palsy) should treatment begin without TUE approval.

Players who do not play at one of the above levels (and hence not required to apply for a TUE prior to competing) may make a retroactive TUE application to UK Anti-Doping. A player requiring a retroactive TUE has five days following receipt of an adverse analytical finding (AAF) to submit their retroactive application. Typically, a player will receive a letter from UKAD informing them of the requirements to apply for a retroactive TUE for the prohibited substance detected in their sample. Scottish Rugby or UKAD may also contact the player to make them aware that this correspondence is on its way, in relevant circumstances.

We encourage any player who has been tested, without a TUE but who may require one, to contact UKAD to discuss the process and to better understand their rights and responsibilities.

Finally, we recommend that even where a player believes that they will be eligible for a retrospective TUE, they should check with the prescribing physician that the criteria and medical evidence needed by the TUE Committee can be met before the player uses any prohibited substance or method.

Details on the Therapeutic Use Exemption process can be found via the below link.

TUES: https://www.ukad.org.uk/tue-application

Each year the World Anti-Doping Agency produces a list of substances which athletes are not allowed to take together with a list of “prohibited methods” (such as blood doping). This document is known as the WADA Prohibited List.

Please note that:

• Some substances are prohibited at any time and some are only prohibited “in-competition” i.e. on match day or within 24 hours of a match; and
• Under the principle of Strict Liability, players are solely responsible for any prohibited substance found in their system whether there was an intention to cheat or not.

A copy of the current Prohibited List, which came into effect on 1 January 2025, can be found below.

• WADA Prohibited List 2025

Before Taking Any Medication

Before taking any medication players are advised to check its ingredients on the Global Drug Reference Online website (Global DRO), which will confirm whether the substance is permitted or not. Please note that this website will not confirm the safety of dietary supplements.

Players are strongly advised to be very cautious if they choose to take any supplement such as vitamin tablets, energy drinks, or sport-nutrition formulas. This is because there is no guarantee that any supplement is free from banned substances.

Before deciding to use supplements Players are advised to:

• read Scottish Rugby’s Position Statement on the Use of Supplements;
• assess the potential consequences to their careers (they could receive a four-year ban) and / or their reputation;
• assess the need to use supplements by seeking advice from a medical professional or nutritionist on their need to use supplement products; and
• assess the risks associated with supplements and undertake thorough research of all supplement products they are considering taking.

Supplement risks can be reduced by:

• undertaking thorough internet research
• only using batch-tested products
• checking on Informed-Sport Informed Sport (which is a risk minimisation programme) that the supplement has been only using batch-tested

• Position statement on nutritional supplements
• Informed Sport

Scottish Rugby has a Policy and Regulation on Illicit Drugs. The following substances (including their metabolites and markers) are considered to be “Illicit Drugs” under Scottish Rugby’s Policy:

• • Amphetamines
  • Benzodiazepines
  • Cannabis (1)
  • Cocaine
  • Methamphetamines (Including “Ecstasy”)
  • Opiates

(1) The WADA reporting threshold for cannabis metabolites in urine is set at a level to avoid possible passive ingestion being reported. For urine tests under this policy the WADA threshold shall apply.

The Policy, Regulation and other information (including Scottish Rugby’s Illicit Drug Factsheets), can be viewed here.

It is strongly recommended that all players and athlete support personnel (coaches, conditioners, physios, etc) read the Guidance Documents from Scottish Rugby. Clubs are requested to attach a hard copy of both documents to their Club Noticeboard.

Players and athlete support personnel may also wish to download the 100% me Elite Athlete Clean Sport & World Anti-Doping Agency Apps for Smartphones.

If you can’t find the information you’re looking for or have a specific query, please email Scottish Rugby at anti-doping@sru.org.uk. All enquiries will be treated as confidential.