Former British & Irish Lion star appeals against career ending ban

11/11/2024 04:52 AM

The former Welsh international scrum-half Rhys Webb has been hit with a staggering four-year suspension by the French Agency for the Fight Against Doping (AFLD).

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Webb, who had recently signed with Olympic Biarritz, tested positive during a BOPB training session. The AFLD acted swiftly, provisionally suspending the scrum-half pending further investigation.

Subsequently, Webb requested a “B” sample analysis at the laboratory in Saclay, Essonne, which confirmed the presence of the banned substance.

Here is the document issued by the AFLD notifying the sanction received by Rhys Webb:

Rhys Webb has a ban on:

− to participate, in any capacity whatsoever, in a competition authorized or organized by an organization that is a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code or one of its members, by a professional league or an organization responsible for non-signatory international or national events, by a sports federation, or giving rise to the award of prizes in cash or in kind

− to participate in any activity, including training, courses or exhibitions, authorized or organized by a signatory organization to the World Anti-Doping Code or one of its members, by a professional league or an organization responsible for non-signatory international or national events, or by a sports federation, a professional league or one of its members, unless these activities are part of recognized education or rehabilitation programs related to the fight against doping

− to exercise the functions of management staff or any administrative activity within a sports federation, a professional league, an organization signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code or one of their members, as well as those of sports educators defined in Article L. 212-1 of the Sports Code

− and to take part in any sporting activity involving athletes of national or international level and funded by a public person.

Rhys Webb's lawyer, Dominique Laplagne said “The sanction imposed on Rhys Webb is not final, and we have immediately instructed a lawyer at the Conseil d'Etat to lodge an appeal to overturn the AFLD's decision.

“In the meantime, Rhys wishes to reaffirm his innocence, pointing out that he has never undergone any other disciplinary procedure, of any kind, during his long career as a professional athlete and has never used any doping product, growth hormone in particular.”

Sam Warburton’s British & Irish Lions Starting XV in 2025

15. Blair Kinghorn

14. Tommy Freeman

11. Duhan van der Merwe

13. Robbie Henshaw

12. Sione Tuipulotu

10. Marcus Smith

9. Jamison Gibson-Park

1. Ellis Genge

2. Dan Sheehan

3. Tadhg Furlong

4. George Martin

5. Joe McCarthy

6. Ollie Chessum

7. Jac Morgan

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