Scottish Rugby backs UK Anti-Doping Clean Sport Week

Scottish Rugby is supporting UK Anti-Doping’s fifth Clean Sport Week, which launches today.

This year’s campaign, which will again have the support of a range of National Governing Bodies (NGBs), sports organisations and UK sports stars, is an opportunity for everyone in sport to prepare for its return.

Some of the main objectives for this year’s campaign are to raise awareness of the hidden impact of doping on athletes and public confidence in clean sport and to promote and celebrate clean competition in the run up to the upcoming sporting events this summer and beyond.

Scottish Rugby’s Medical Services Manager, Richard Wood, said: “Clean Sport Week provides our players and our organisation with the chance to promote clean sport from our FOSROC Academies, to our Pro Teams right through to our current players and management involved in the GB Men’s & Women’s 7s squads preparing for the Tokyo Olympics.

“Our players do this by acting as role models for our younger players and by emphasising that our players success is achieved through hard work, determination and eating clean, nutritious food. Their success is 100% them.

“All our players receive annual Clean Sport workshops, continually reminding them on how to protect themselves and feel confident in making well informed choices.”

Ben Muncaster during a Scotland Under 20 training session

This year, Scottish Rugby has delivered courses to players from Edinburgh Rugby, Glasgow Warriors, Scotland Men, Scotland Women, U20s and the players in the two 7s programmes, who are hoping to be selected for Team GB at the Olympic Games this summer. These workshops covered two topics: 100% me and Clean Sport.

The 100% me workshop looks to educate players on the values within Clean Sport, how players promote themselves within rugby and how to protect themselves. It discusses moral dilemmas a player may find themselves in and how to make correct decisions.

Clean Sport looks more in depth at the topics within anti-doping. This includes the testing process, players rights and responsibilities during this process, websites to check for medications and supplements as well as sanctions and violations a player may face.

The courses are run by members of the Scottish Rugby medical team and both workshops highlight the importance of a ‘food first’ approach to diet as well as educating the players on strict liability.

Photo caption – Scotland U20 players – (l-r) Cole Lambertion, Alex Samuel, Rhys Tait and Archie Smeaton