Leeds Rhinos coach Richard Agar adamant drug-taking not rife in rugby league | Rugby League News

Leeds Rhinos head coach Richard Agar: “I completely disagree that drugs is a widespread problem in our game, not at all, and I’ve coached for 20-odd years;” former Scotland captain Ollie Wilkes claims doping took place at a number of the clubs he played for

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After claims that doping is rife in the sport, RFL chief regulatory officer Karen Moorhouse says it’s been a tough couple of days, but has shone a light on the work that’s gone on to make the sport clean

Leeds Rhinos head coach Richard Agar insists drug-taking is not rife in rugby league.

Former Leigh forward Jamie Acton, who was handed a two-year ban last month after a reanalysed sample he had provided tested positive for a banned substance, has claimed it would be “abnormal” for a player not to have taken social or performance-enhancing drugs during his career.

And former Scotland international Oliver Wilkes told ITV earlier this week he had taken performance-enhancing drugs, claiming he often felt it was essential in order to compete for a place in the team.

Leeds boss Agar, who coached Wilkes during his time at Wakefield, said: “I completely disagree that drugs is a widespread problem in our game, not at all, and I’ve coached for 20-odd years.

“It might be and I might not know about it but I can certainly talk about my club with great confidence and say that’s not the case and I think I can go back to all the clubs I’ve been at and say it’s not a widespread issue.

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Brian Carney is adamant that rugby league does not have a widespread problem with doping

“Any sport in the world will always find the odd individual that may not make the best choice but I would say they are very minor pockets.

“I would say the timing of the comments, after a very positive opening round [of Super League], is disappointing. We had a wonderful opening round and I thought the sport emerged with a lot of credit.

“I’m not sure of the motive but I would hope Oli on a personal front is okay.”

Leeds Rhinos boss Richard Agar coached Ollie Wilkes during his time at Wakefield

The Rugby Football League’s chief regulatory officer Karen Moorhouse told Sky Sports News she does not recognise Acton’s comments which she believes “cast an unfair light” on clean players.

“A number of former players at the highest level have come out and spoken really passionately about how they don’t recognise those comments and I think it casts an unfair light on the vast majority of players who played their sports entirely clean,” said Moorhouse.

“I’d also say as a mother of young children who are just starting their journey playing rugby league there is absolutely no way I’d put them into the environment if I thought that (Acton’s comments) were a fair reflection on the sport.”

UK Anti-Doping said earlier this week that it had carried out more than 600 drug tests in rugby league last year, making it UKAD’s third most tested sport behind football and rugby union.

Another report shows a 76 per cent increase in testing numbers from April to December 2021 compared to the same period in 2020, with the most tested sports being football, cycling, boxing, rugby league and rugby union.

In the last five years, UKAD has published decisions confirming 14 bans to rugby league players.

UKAD deputy director of operations (testing) Hamish Coffey said: “With the easing of Government restrictions in the UK in 2021 we have been able to boost testing numbers significantly throughout the last threequarters of our financial year.”