Stevens given two-year ban

Bath and England are set to be without Matt Stevens for two years, as the prop has been banned after testing positive for cocaine.Last month his club revealed that he had been suspended after failing a drug test and the European Rugby Cup has now imposed the sanction.Stevens was randomly selected to provide a sample after a Heineken Cup game against Glasgow Warriors in December and an independent committee considered the case this week.They decided that the presence of cocaine in violated rules, stating: "This was Mr Stevens' first anti-doping rule violation and the judicial committee accordingly imposed the prescribed sanction of a two-year period of ineligibility from all rugby playing and rugby-related activities."It means the player, who had originally been included in England's Six Nations squad, will not be able to take to the field until January 19th 2010.Bath are currently in fourth place in the Guinness Premiership table and face leaders Gloucester tomorrow.

Written By:- Chris (About our Authors)
Posted on:- 27/02/2009 - 13:17 PM
Filed in:- Sports Betting News