Rugby

Rugby is a sport with significant doping challenges, with 636 registered cases (4.3% of all violations). United Kingdom leads in violations with 172 cases, while Methylhexaneamine is the most frequently detected substance (55 cases). The average suspension length is 29.4 months. Rugby ranks #6 globally among all sports tracked by the Anti-Doping Database..

Number of cases in Rugby Last 10 Years

International Rugby Board

If you use this statistics, please credit The Anti-Doping Database

Sport Global Ranking
1,493
···
636
Global Ranking: #6 of 178 sports

636

Rugby cases

4.3%

Of all violations

14,670

Total global cases
Rugby's share of all violations 4.3%
636 of 14,670

Rugby has the most violations in anti-doping rule violations globally, with 636 registered cases4.3% of all 14,670 verified cases in the Anti-Doping Database. Ranking in the top 10 globally.

Number of cases in Rugby By Country
Top Country: United Kingdom

172

United Kingdom cases

27%

Of global cases

636

Total Rugby cases
United Kingdom's share of Rugby violations 27%
172 of 636

United Kingdom leads in Rugby with 172 registered violations, accounting for over one-fifth of all violations. This represents 27% of the sport's 636 total cases globally.

The average suspension length for sanctioned Rugby athletes in United Kingdom is 29.4 months, aligned with the global average.

Substance use in Rugby
Most Detected Substance: Methylhexaneamine

55

Rugby cases

8.6%

Of sport cases

580

Global Methylhexaneamine cases
Methylhexaneamine's share of Rugby violations 8.6%
55 of 636

Methylhexaneamine has the most violations in Rugby with 55 violations out of 636 total cases (8.6%). Though cases are more evenly distributed globally.

Globally, Methylhexaneamine has been detected in 580 cases across all sports, ranking #7 among all prohibited substances.

The average suspension length for Methylhexaneamine violations is 19.6 months, shorter than the global average of 30.1 months.


Methylhexanamine (or Dimethylamylamine, DMAA) was added to the WADA prohibited list 2010 as a stimulant. Methylhexaneamine, a component of geranium oil, is now the ingredient of a variety of supplements. It is chemically related to ephedrine and amphetamine. In New Zeeland it is an active ingredient in 'party pills'. In addition it has been found in weight loss products. Adverse effects of this drug include stroke, nausea and headache. In the 1970 this stimulant was used as a nasal decongestant, but has not been medically used since. According to WADA the substance has now reappeared in a number of nutritional supplements and was therefore subject to potential inadvertent use by athletes. Because of this the drug was re-classified for 2011 from the 'non-specified' to 'specified' stimulant class, meaning that if the athlete can prove that they did not take the drug intentionally he or she may get a reduced sanction. Several cases of methylhexanamine were found during the 2010 Commonwealth Games. In addition, in October 2010, nine Australian Athletes were found by the Australian Sports Anti-doping Authority to have tested positive for the substance. http://www.cyclingnews.com http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methylhexanamine

If you use this statistics, please credit The Anti-Doping Database

Number of Active Sanctions Ending Year for Rugby
Gender Distribution
Male 97.6
621 cases
Female 2.4
15 cases
Analysis: Rugby has a notably higher proportion of male cases (97.6%) compared to the global average (80.2%), a difference of 17.4 percentage points. Global average: 80.2% male, 19.8% female

About International Rugby Board

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The Anti-Doping Database currently contains 14,670 verified anti-doping rule violations across all sports and all countries, and is updated regularly.