Rugby Union: Rugby pledges action on drugs

The Welsh Rugby Union's honorary physician has undertaken to strengthen drug-testing procedures after a BBC radio programme alleged that 150 players in union and rugby league were taking steroids.

John Davies, the surgeon who chairs the International Board's drugs task force, told On The Line on Radio Five: "If our programme is woefully inadequate from what you tell me - and I am now tending to agree with you if your information is correct - then obviously somehow or other we have to find funding to increase it."

The programme quoted an anonymous Welsh player who said that he knew seven or eight players apart from himself, including one international, who were using steroids. On The Line stated that only 18 of 2,200 Welsh league and cup matches involved dope-testing last season, and 18 of 500 rugby league fixtures.