Ashley Johnson suspended by RFU after Wasps forward fails drugs test

South African returned the ‘prohibited substance’ in an out-of-competition test on 7 February

Ashley Johnson has been suspended after failing a drugs test (Getty)

Wasps forward Ashley Johnson has been suspended by the Rugby Football Union after failing a drugs test.

The 31-year-old is accused of testing positive for a “prohibited substance” that was returned in an out-of-competition test on 7 February. The South African international, who has been capped three times by the Springboks, last featured for Wasps in the 24-16 victory over London Irish on 4 March.

A Wasps statement issued on Friday read: “The club is aware that a prohibited substance was reportedly found in an out-of-competition doping control sample provided by Ashley Johnson on February 7 2018.

“He has been provisionally suspended by the RFU pending final determination of the matter and is therefore currently unavailable for selection.

“Ashley is currently investigating the possible source of the substance and both he and the club are co-operating fully with the RFU in this respect.

“We are fully supportive of him in this process but are unable to comment any further at this stage due to the confidentiality of legal proceedings.”

Johnson, who plays as both a hooker and flanker for Wasps, was first capped by South Africa in 2009 and won the last of his three Test appearances in 2012, the same year as he moved from the Cheetahs to Wasps. The Wynberg-born player has made more than 100 Premiership appearance for the Coventry-based side, scoring 23 tries.

The announcement of Johnson’s failed drugs test comes two days after it was revealed that Yorkshire Carnegie forward Brandon Staples had received a four-year ban, with the South African testing positive for three steroids including Dehydrochloromethyl-Testosterone, Metandienone and Stanozolol.