SYDNEY — The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) will significantly expand its integrity unit and conduct more than 200 drug tests this year after revelations of widespread doping in Australian sport, reports said yesterday.
Reuters
A year-long probe by the Australian Crime Commission (ACC) unveiled on Thursday identified common use of prohibited substances across multiple sporting codes.
Ahead of next week’s kick-off to the new Super 15 season, incoming ARU boss Bill Pulver, who was confidentially briefed before the report’s release, said rugby union was not under the ACC microscope. “There is no current investigation of any of these matters in relation to rugby,” Pulver told The Australian newspaper.
But Pulver, who is in his first week in the job, said the ARU had no option but to tighten its defences.
“It would be naive to suggest the problem does not exist in rugby union as well and, therefore, we really do need to up the ante in terms of putting in place resources, processes and systems to make sure the integrity of our sport remains intact,” he said.
When asked if the ARU’s integrity unit would be significantly expanded, Pulver, who replaced John O’Neill as chief executive, said: “I suspect there will need to be an expansion of our investment in this area.
“Clearly this is a very important area in the future of our game and so we will invest accordingly.”
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The unit is headed by Phil Thomson, who was previously a Federal Police detective who became team manager for the Brumbies and Wallabies. He works with the ARU’s legal counsel, high performance unit and the general management team.
