We haven't heard about doping in rugby for a while - but that doesn't mean that the problem hasn't gone away. Welsh rugby has been hit with it's tenth doping ban in their semi-pro championship league.
Merthyr RFC's (a club who count former Wales international Andy Powell in their ranks) Ben Murphy is the guilty party who has tested positive for a performance-enhancing stimulant. Murphy has been banned for six months by the United Kingdom Anti Doping agency (UKAD).
It's a concerning trend, with the reasoning for Murphy's positive test having it's roots in a 'supplement culture' in the team. It is contended that Murphy succumbed to peer pressure in this instance.
In this case, Mr Murphy’s callowness and susceptibility to peer pressure were the root cause of his departure from the standards expected from him.
Murphy told UKAD that he had purchased the supplement in question 'Dedicated Unstoppable' last November after joining Merthyr. This was after the 19-year-old convinced himself that the product didn't contain any prohibited performance-enhancing substances following research.
He even declared his use of the product at his test, and the decision from the UKAD panel to reduce his ban from two years to six months reflects the clear unintentional doping.
