SYDNEY: Six Australian National Rugby League (NRL) clubs yesterday admitted they were mentioned in a nationwide sports doping scandal, and vowed to support any investigations.
North Queensland, Penrith, Canberra, Newcastle, Manly and Cronulla all said they had been contacted by NRL chiefs after the Australian Crime Commission granted the league permission to notify any clubs it mentioned in its report.
The official report, released in summary last week, said use of prohibited substances including peptides, hormones and illicit drugs was common across multiple sporting codes, sending shockwaves through Australia.
It prompted the Australian Olympic Committee to announce Tuesday that all athletes competing at the 2014 winter games in Sochi, Russia, would have to sign statutory declarations swearing they had no history of doping.
Anyone refusing to sign would be ineligible for Olympic selection and those found to have “willfully and corruptly (made) a false statutory declaration knowing it to be untrue” could be sentenced to up to five years in jail.
Australian Rules football has already admitted at least one of its clubs and one player from another club had been implicated in the nationwide doping scandal.
Cricket, football and rugby union authorities have said they are not under investigation.
“Our club will cooperate with any official enquiry,” Newcastle Knights chief executive Matt Gidley said, adding that the NRL contacted them on Monday but they had no further information or details on how they were involved.
“We maintain full confidence under the management of (coach) Wayne Bennett.
“Until we receive further information from the NRL and/or ASADA, there is nothing further we can add,” he added, referring to the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority.
Reports said the 10 other NRL clubs all confirmed they were not mentioned in the report. AFP
