Rugby drugs cover-up dossier: England star Dowes admitted he took banned drug

By Sportingintelligence

1 February 2012

The document scanned below are part of a huge secret dossier of evidence amassed by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) during an investigation into the biggest drugs cover-up in British sporting history.

UKAD is the agency that polices anti-doping in the UK.

The investigation related to drug use by players at Hull FC rugby league club last year, and the subsequent cover-up.

Martin Gleeson is the only player who faced charges, after failing a test for a drug him and multiple team-mates were using.

Read a background guide here.

AND READ MORE REVELATIONS HERE (More material to come as well).

The scan below is part of a written submission by former England star Ewan Dowes, explaining how he came to take OxyElite Pro, a supplement containing a ‘controlled’ stimulant, MHA, which is banned in competition and which has often led to lengthy bans. He took it in error, after being advised it had been ‘cleared’ when in fact a coach had made a mistake.

Several players in the case admitted drug use to UKAD, and faced no action, which might prompt serious questions from other athletes about why.

The full cover-up, and suppression of what really happened, went much wider than Long, Gleeson and Hull … there is much more to follow.

Ewan Dowes statement about his drug use to UKAD