Tune cleared by anti-doping tribunal

Ben Tune has been cleared of any deliberate wrong-doing by the Australian Rugby Union's anti-doping tribunal. The winger should therefore be free to play for Australia in their final Tri-Nations match against South Africa in Johannesburg on Saturday, although the International Rugby Board will still make the final decision.

In March last year Tune was administered the banned masking agent probenecid as part of his treatment for an infected knee. He played two Super 12 matches for Queensland before it was discovered that probenecid – which is used to accelerate the effects of antibiotics – was banned.

Queensland then rested him from Super 12 rugby, but neither they, nor the Australian Rugby Union, informed the IRB, and Tune could have been handed a two-year ban.

Now, however, he can catch up with his team-mates, who left for South Africa yesterday, after the ARU anti-doping tribunal decided he was innocent of any deliberate offence.

The South Africa coach, Rudolf Straeuli, has named an unchanged squad to face Australia after the defeat to the All Blacks in Durban on Saturday.

South African rugby are determined to ban for life the spectator charged with assaulting the referee in that match. David McHugh, of Ireland, suffered a dislocated shoulder, and his assailant, Pieter van Zyl, 42, has been charged with assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

Rian Oberholzer, the managing director of South African Rugby, has said that his legal department will try to "enforce our suspension of him for life"