Bath drug appeals dismissed

Former Bath players Michael Lipman (pictured) and Alex Crockett have lost their appeal (GETTY IMAGES)

Former Bath co-captains Michael Lipman and Alex Crockett today lost their appeal against the nine-month bans received for missing drug tests.

Neither player was present as a three-man Rugby Football Union panel met in London to consider the appeal, taking just under two hours to reach their decision.

The RFU hearing was the duo's last hope of having their bans reduced within the disciplinary structure of the game.

The players' suspension run from June 1, 2009 - the date they resigned from Bath - until February 28, 2010.

An RFU statement read: "On August 3, Bath players Crockett, Lipman and Andrew Higgins were found guilty by an RFU disciplinary panel of two charges of conduct prejudicial to the interests of the game in failing to submit to drugs tests on two separate occasions when reasonably requested by Bath.

"Crockett and Lipman subsequently appealed against the decision and their appeal was heard today by the panel of Matthew Lohn (chairman), Philip Evans and Dr Julian Morris.

"The appeal was dismissed by the panel and the original suspension upheld, effective from June 1, 2009, the date they resigned from Bath. Crockett and Lipman can play again on February 28, 2010."

The thrust of the players' appeal centred around three contentions - that there was no lawful basis for them to be requested by Bath to submit to extra testing, that the players had reasonable grounds to not take the tests and that their refusal to take them was not prejudicial to the game.

But the panel rejected the appeal on all three counts, believing it was entirely reasonable for Bath to request the extra test.

The full verdict is expected to be published within 48 hours.

England flanker Lipman and Crockett were found to have failed on two occasions to undertake drug tests as Bath investigated allegations of misconduct during an unofficial end-of-season celebration in London.

A third former Bath player, Higgins, opted against appealing, instead choosing to retire after also being hit with a nine-month suspension.

Lipman, Crockett and Higgins were among six players who were linked with allegations of drug use during the celebrations in London on May 10.

Former Australia lock Justin Harrison resigned from the club after also failing to take a drugs test and later received an eight-month suspension after admitting to taking cocaine.

Two other players took drug tests and were cleared.

Lipman, Crockett and Higgins did not take a test and resigned from the club shortly before they were due to attend an internal disciplinary hearing.

The RFU then launched an investigation into the situation, which resulted in all three players being cleared of drug use but suspended for missing the tests.