The International Rugby Board has confirmed that USA player James Paterson has received a four month sanction after testing positive for the painkiller Oxycodone at Rugby World Cup 2011.
Paterson was provisionally suspended by the IRB on October 13, 2011 and will be able to return to the Game on February 13, 2012.
Oxycodone is classified on the WADA Prohibited List as a Narcotic and prohibited In Competition only. It is also classified as a specified substance.
Oxycodone was administered to Paterson as part of a pain management plan to enable the player to take the field for USA’s last match of the pool phase following a shoulder injury sustained earlier in the tournament.
IRB Anti-Doping Manager Tim Ricketts said: “This was a very unfortunate case in the sense that it could have been avoided by referencing the WADA Prohibited List which is provided to all Unions and was proactively made available to all participating teams and players prior to and during RWC 2011.”
“The main message to come from this error is that all medical personnel and Players must be diligent in checking all medications whether it be over the counter or prescription medicine to ensure it does not contain any prohibited substances. Under the strict liability principle a player is responsible for any prohibited substance found in their system.”
The full written decision of this case is available on the IRB’s anti-doping website www.keeprugbyclean.com along with the WADA Prohibited List and other educational resources.
