Players at the World Cup will be tested as early as next week for the designer anabolic steroid tetrahydrogestrinone (THG), tournament officials announced today.
Rugby's anti-doping body said all samples taken during the remainder of the tournament would be tested for the newly-discovered drug and possibly some samples already taken would be re-tested.
"The test will be applied to all new samples collected and may extend to samples already collected as part of the RWC anti-doping programme," officials said in a statement.
The decision to start immediate testing, followed an announcement by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) that 30 IOC-accredited laboratories worldwide had been provided with details on how to detect the drug.
The Australian Sports Drug Agency has been appointed to test players at the World Cup at Sydney's IOC-accredited laboratory, which was used for the 2000 Olympics.
The discovery of THG has already struck at the heart of athletics and anti-doping crusaders are already targeting other sports.
France team manager Jo Maso confirmed that World Cup officials had informed him that all samples taken during the tournament would be tested for THG.
"I even had to acknowledge their fax," he said. "I'm all in favour of the strictest and the most acute testing so everybody will have peace of mind and body."
