Former Samoa captain Chris Vui has spoken publicly for the first time about the impact of his four-year ban from rugby, revealing the devastating effect the case has had on his life.
The 33-year-old was playing for Bristol Bears in April 2025 when he was handed a four-year suspension by World Rugby.
His ban was backdated to September 2023, following an anti-doping rule violation after testing positive for nandrolone.
The case remained largely unknown until July 2026, when it emerged that Vui had unsuccessfully appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Speaking to Daily Mail Sport in his first public interview since the ban was revealed, Vui was adamant about his position.
"I did not take a banned substance."
Vui tested positive for an indicator of the steroid nandrolone, although he says he has still been unable to establish exactly where it came from.
The ordeal has taken a significant toll on his mental health, with Vui admitting there were periods when he struggled to see a way forward.
"I always told myself I was mentally strong. But, man, you’re never prepared for something like that.
"Sometimes, I wondered whether life was worth living. I can laugh about it now, but there were very dark times.
"I had just signed a four-year deal with Bristol and it was the most money I’d been on. All of a sudden, boom. Gone."
His suspension is due to expire in June 2027, meaning he could theoretically return to rugby in time to represent Samoa at next year's World Cup in Australia.
He now works as a truck driver, leaving his home in Bristol at 3.30am every morning before starting work at a lorry depot at 4am. His deliveries take him across the country.
Vui's rugby career had seen him rise through the ranks as a lock. He represented New Zealand Under-20s at the 2013 IRB Junior World Championship in France before switching allegiance to Samoa.
His first Samoa cap came during the 2016 November internationals, while he became the youngest captain in World Rugby when he led his country in 2017.
Vui was with the Samoa squad at the 2023 World Cup in France when he learned that he had failed a drugs test.
He claims delays in the process also affected his case, stating that he was not informed about the positive result until 57 days after providing his urine sample in Samoa.
According to the Daily Mail, Vui is continuing to appeal the verdict and has already spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on legal fees in an attempt to prove his innocence.
