East Lothian rugby player banned from all sport after failing second drug test

A rugby player has been banned from all sport for eight years - after failing a drug test for the second time.

Banned: Darren Eales

Burly forward Darren Eales, 27, was playing for Preston Lodge RFC when he failed the UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) urine test following a match in February last year.

Eales, from Prestonpans, East Lothian, was found to have the anabolic steroid stanozolol in his system which is derived from testosterone.

The drug is used to enhance performance and is prohibited from sport at all times under the 2019 WADA Prohibited List.

Pat Myhill, UKAD’s director of operations, said: “The decision to ban Mr Eales from sport for eight years shows the serious consequences of repeated attempts to cheat.

“The World Anti-Doping Code provides longer bans for second offences and this is a clear message that repeated cheating will not be tolerated.”

A UKAD statement said: “The case was referred by UKAD to the National Anti-Doping Panel (NADP) in July last year.

“After affording Mr Eales numerous extensions, the NADP eventually imposed an eight-year ban last month after determining the case on the papers.

“Mr Eales did not provide any evidence to verify his claim that he had used a contaminated supplement.

“Taking into consideration his provisional suspension, Mr Eales' ban started on February 23, 2019, and will expire at midnight on February 22, 2027.”

A Scottish Rugby spokesperson said: “Scottish Rugby takes a zero-tolerance approach to any use of prohibited substances to enhance performance.

“The length of this sanction, at eight years for a second doping offence, is welcomed as a warning to others and ensures Mr Eales will not be able to play rugby again until 2027.”

Prop Eales – who was convicted of drunk driving in 2016 – was playing for Preston Lodge RFP in a match against Dumfries Saints on February 23 last year when UKAD collected an in-competition urine sample from the player.

Subsequent analysis of the ‘A’ sample returned an adverse analytical finding (AAF) for the steroid stanozolol.

Eales was also banned from all sport five years ago after he tested positive for three anabolic steroids following an out-of-competition test in November 2014.

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