Sport Ireland still to decide if it will appeal James Cronin doping violation ban

Sport Ireland are still reviewing the James Cronin doping violation decision and have yet to decide whether they will appeal his one-month suspension to the Court of Arbitration in Sport.
Sport Ireland still to decide if it will appeal James Cronin doping violation ban
James Cronin in action against Racing 92 last November.

Sport Ireland are still reviewing the James Cronin doping violation decision and have yet to decide whether they will appeal his one-month suspension to the Court of Arbitration in Sport. They have until May 11 to decide one way or another.

Cronin and Munster both accepted the decision made by the independent judicial officer to declare him ineligible between April 15 and May 16 after he tested positive for prednisolone and prednisone following Munster’s Heineken Champions Cup match against Racing 92 in November.

Both substances are on the World Anti-Doping Agency's banned list.

The report, produced by Antony Davies on appointment by EPCR, accepted that the Munster forward had been unwell before of the game in question, was prescribed antibiotics by Dr Jamie Kearns, but was then given medication intended for another customer at the pharmacy.

Cronin was absolved of any “significant fault or negligence” due to the error on the part of the pharmacy but it was noted that the player could have done more to avoid the violation and should have stopped to consider why he was given two sets of medication instead of one.

“We have made no decision but we are reviewing the case,” said Sport Ireland CEO John Treacy who was speaking by conference call ahead of his body's annual anti-doping report.

It was then put to Treacy that the length of the suspension, added to the fact that it fell in a window in which no rugby would be played, appeared lenient. “That is the case,” he replied, "that's why we're reviewing it.”

There were three completed cases of anti-doping violations in 2019, according to the anti-doping report. Two of them, in motorsport and wrestling, were for the use of cannabinoids, and carried suspensions of four months and three months respectively.

The third case concerned footballer Brandon Miele who was handed a two-year ban for failing to submit a sample when asked to do so after a St Patrick's Athletic game last year.

Another four cases are still pending from that period and, while all that represents a jump on just the one case from the year before, Treacy maintained that the figures across a period of time, and when compared to the international scene, are consistent.

“There's nothing unusual that we have these cases this year,” he said.

Sport Ireland conducted 1,303 anti-doping tests last year. That was a 17% jump on the 2018 numbers but the volume of testing for the current calendar will fall dramatically as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions on movement.

“We're not testing as routine programme during the pandemic,” said Dr Una May, Sport Ireland's Director of Participation and Ethics. “What we have said is that if we receive any information that requires us to focus particular attention on any athlete...

“At this time we are focusing a lot more around intelligence. We are working with customs and monitoring and tracking individuals in terms of any deliveries or packages that are suspicious.”

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