Rugby league: Hornets player receives 4 year ban after testing positive for steroids

Rochdale Hornets forward Andy Lea has been banned from sport for four years after testing positive for steroids.

Lea, 28, tested positive for drostanolone and its metabolite, and a metabolite of trenbolone, anabolic steroids which artificially improve athletic performance and are prohibited at all times.

Lea signed for Rochdale Hornets in mid December 2019 and had been with the club for less than three weeks when the test was administered after a Hornets training session on 9 January 2020. He had joined from an amateur side.

Lea acknowledged taking a product called ‘TTM’, to improve his physical appearance. Lea said that he understood ‘TTM’ contained trenbolone and drostanolone, but that he did not know what those steroids were.

He is banned from sport until 8 January 2024.

Speaking on the case, UKAD’s Director of Operations, Pat Myhill said: “Athletes have a responsibility to themselves, their fellow athletes and sport to ensure that they are adhering to the Anti-Doping Rules in order to keep sport clean. This includes double checking all products, supplements and medications for prohibited substances. It is not enough to say ‘I didn’t know they were steroids’.

“Athletes should familiarise themselves with the Prohibited List each year, and use Informed Sport and Global DRO to check their products before ingesting. The onus is on the athlete to know exactly what they are putting into their bodies at all times.”

Steve Kerr, CEO of Rochdale Hornets, said: “We take incidents of substance abuse very seriously. Andy unfortunately made an error of judgement and Rochdale Hornets have supported him through this difficult time.

“It is our belief that the substance was in his system prior to joining Rochdale Hornets, as he had only been with us for a short time.

“The whole game has a duty to provide education on banned substances to players in the amateur game to prevent further incidents such as these.”