Rugby drugs cover-up dossier: Hull player and RFL official tell UKAD of multiple players using banned drug
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By Sportingintelligence
1 February 2012
The documents scanned below are part of a huge secret dossier of evidence amassed by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) during an investigation into the biggest drugs cover-up in British sporting history.
UKAD is the agency that polices anti-doping in the UK.
The investigation related to drug use by players at Hull FC rugby league club last year, and the subsequent cover-up.
Martin Gleeson is the only player who faced charges, after failing a test for a drug him and multiple team-mates were using.
AND READ MORE REVELATIONS HERE (More material to come as well).
The first scan below is part of a written submission by HullFC player Danny Tickle, explaining what he knew about usage at the club in 2011 of OxyElite Pro, a supplement containing a ‘controlled’ stimulant, MHA, which is banned in competition and which has often led to lengthy bans.
Tickle himself did not take it but testifies others did.
Several players in the case admitted drug use to UKAD, and faced no action, which might prompt serious questions from other athletes about why.
The second scan shows an extract from an oral interview involving a Rugby Football League employee, Dean Hardman, and a lawyer working for UKAD, Jonathan Taylor. This was part of an investigation into the cover-up. Hardman says he'd been told by Hull conditioning coach Ben Cooper that "6 or 7, or 7 or 8" Hull players had been using the supplement.
Hull's CEO at the time of the scandal, and party to a cover-up, was James Rule, who told RFL officials as early as 3 June 2011 that he feared his 'whole squad' could be using OxyElite Pro. This was a particular worry as Hull had a massive derby against Hull KR schedule for Sunday 5 June. Astonishingly the game went ahead involving multiple players who had used a banned stimulant.
The full cover-up, and suppression of what really happened, went much wider than Long, Gleeson and Hull … there is much more to follow.
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Danny Tickle statement about his knowledge of drug use at Hull
Dean Hardman (RFL) tells investigation he heard 6-8 players were using banned drug
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More on the rugby drugs cover-up