Blackrock College RFC player Michael Carroll has been banned for a year by the Irish Sports Council for failing a drugs test.
He failed a test after an Ulster Bank All-Ireland League match against Clontarf at Stradbrook on 1 October - Blackrock lost the home game 6-30.
Carroll, 30, inadvertently took the drug methylhexaneamine when using an energy drink called "1 More Rep".
He told the Irish Times: "It was a mistake on my part, but I should have known better, really. There is a standard across the board for an amateur rugby player like me up to someone like Usain Bolt in the Olympics.
"The rules are there in black and white, when you look at them. I know the onus is on the individual."
The ban came after a disciplinary hearing on 23 November. The panel which heard the case accepted that Carroll was not trying to enhance his performance, and that he believed he was taking an energy drink.
A statement said: "The panel considered Mr Carroll’s evidence and found him to be a credible and honest witness. He fairly answered the questions put to him, without hesitation, including questions unfavourable to him."
Carroll says he intends to return and play for Blackrock next season.
