BREAKING: Ireland star 'ineligible' following anti-doping violation
Rugby NewsMonday, 20 April 2020 at 16:16
An independent Judicial Officer has decided that the Munster Rugby player, James Cronin, will be ineligible for a period of one month due to an unintentional anti-doping violation.
Randomly selected for an in-competition anti-doping test following Munster Rugby’s Heineken Champions Cup, Round 2 match against Racing 92 at Thomond Park on 23 November 2019, Cronin tested positive for prednisolone and prednisone which are banned substances under Section 9 of the 2019 WADA Prohibited List.
The player had no Therapeutic Use Exemption permitting the use of prednisolone and prednisone
Cronin co-operated fully with a subsequent investigation of the case by EPCR, and the matter was referred for decision to an independent Judicial Officer, Antony Davies (England).
Prior to the match against Racing 92, Cronin had been unwell and had been prescribed antibiotics, however, the pharmacy dispensed medication to him which was intended for another customer.
The Judicial Officer accepted evidence that the banned substances in the player’s sample were due to a dispensing error by the pharmacy and that the anti-doping violation was entirely unintentional.
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Although the Judicial Officer found that there was no significant fault on behalf of the player, and that there were clear and compelling mitigating factors, he determined that the player had to bear some responsibility for what was in his sample.
It was therefore decided that Cronin will be ineligible for a one-month period from 15 April 2020 until 16 May 2020.
The decision of the independent Judicial Officer is final in respect of the player and EPCR. World Rugby, Sport Ireland and WADA each has the right to appeal.
Six Nations captains ranked by how much fun they’d be on a night out
What does the Six Nations and British Pubs have in common?
Well, sadly, they're both shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic and it remains to be seen when either live rugby or enjoying a pint with your mates will be back on the table.
Inspired by an article from Give Me Sport, we rank them from 6-1.
6. Johnny Sexton (Ireland)
This is why pubs have coffee machines now. Strap yourselves in for some quiet chats around a cappuccino that you just have to imagine real hard is an Irish coffee. Persuade Johnny to the club and he’ll tell the DJ to ‘turn the music down’, before dialling a noise complaint to the police.
5. Alun Wyn Jones (Wales)
The type of guy to see his mate throwing up against a wall, run over to give him an emotional team talk and applaud him for showing 'great character' when they miraculously make it past the bouncer again. Sets a strict 2am curfew and sticks to it every single time.
Alun Wyn Jones, Captain of Wales Rugby tells his players to remain focused during the Guinness Six Nations Championship match between Wales and England at Principality Stadium on February 23, 2018 in Cardiff, Wales. Photo: Phil Mingo/PPAUK
4. Charles Ollivon (France)
Classy cocktail bars only. A night out with the French skipper involves talking about literature and the economy while sipping Old Fashioned cocktails that get you leathered but, somehow, seem to have no effect on him. An amazing evening overall.
3. Owen Farrell
A few pints in he convinces you to head to the local rock bar as a mosh pit isn’t a mosh pit until Farrell bulldozes in with no arms. After starting hard, he'll be purchasing glasses of clear liquid by 2am that you know is water, but he insists is vodka with flat lemonade.
Owen Farrell, Captain of England Rugby gets very vocal during the Guinness Six Nations match between England and Scotland at Twickenham Stadium, Twickenham, London on the 16th March 2019. Photo: Phil Mingo/PPAUK.
2. Stuart Hogg (Scotland)
Prepare for hour-long lectures on the new, organic, indie pale ales he’s drinking that are ‘changing the game’. That, and deep heart-to-heart chats by the third pint which are strangely aggressive. Gives you the best night out of your life without you even knowing how he managed it.
1. Luca Bigi
You could take Luca to the dingiest club in town and he’ll still order a glass of red wine, just to stand in the corner like a classy motherf*****. There might be students wading about in their own sick, but Luca will still look as though he’s stood in a Dolce and Gabbana ad. An absolute chick magnet.
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- Jordie Barrett over Damian de Allende is far from being correct. The hype around Dupont is also overreaching, he's probably 4th in the world and has been since the 2023 WC. He also avoids certain matchups which is strange. The rest of the list is pretty good apart from minor subjective biases.JasonMarlow16-09-2026
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