Rugby Union: England Teenager Given Drugs Ban

An England Under-18 flanker has become the country's first representative player to be banned for drugs after testing positive for a banned steroid.

Eighteen-year-old Adam Dean, who plays for Chester, is believed to have taken dietary supplements that were contaminated by steroids. He has been suspended from all participation in rugby union until March 15, 2006. The schoolboy was tested at a squad session for young England players on February 12 and the sample showed up 19-norandrosterone, a metabolite of the anabolic steroid nandrolone.

The Rugby Football Union believes the finding has highlighted a lack of education on doping issues for young players and say that steps are being taken to plug the gap.

Jeff Blackett, the RFU's disciplinary officer who chaired the panel which imposed the ban, said: "Adam Dean conducted himself very well at the hearing on Tuesday. But it would appear he had not received sufficient education about anti-doping until he was a member of the England 18 group squad when he first became aware of the issues involved and was subsequently tested for the first time.

"While there is very good medical supervision of players at the elite level of the game, we were concerned about the position at a junior club level as he had used supplements without proper supervision."

Jonny Wilkinson will not have to pay for his own insurance if, as expected, he is named in the Lions' 44-man squad on Monday for the tour to New Zealand.

John Feehan, the chief executive of the British and Irish Lions, last night denied that the tourists could not afford to pay for the insurance of Wilkinson or the several other players likely to make the squad who are currently injured.

"We do not believe that any player is uninsurable," said Feehan. "There have been a number of misleading reports in the media this week concerning player insurance, and that of Jonny Wilkinson in particular. We will not comment on any individual player, but the regulations laid down by the Lions committee are quite clear: no player will travel without insurance."

Wasps are likely to be going back to Loftus Road next season following a breakdown in negotiations with Wycombe Wanderers, their landlords for the past three seasons.

Wasps want to enter a part nership with Wycombe which would satisfy the primacy of tenure clause in the Zurich Premiership membership criteria, but they are not close to achieving that goal.

"The problems we have had in the negotiations are a deep disappointment to the rugby club's directors and management," said the Wasps chief executive David Davies. "The prospects of our returning to Loftus Road are growing by the day.

"We want a partnership with Wycombe, one which would see neither club having the stronger position, but that seems to be a stage too far. We have built up a strong supporter base in the home counties and leaving Wycombe would be a kick in the solar plexus, but we are having to make plans to go."

Davies said that Wasps did not expect to be in a position to announce who will be replacing Warren Gatland as the club's director of rugby until April 18, by which time the former Scotland coach Ian McGeechan has promised to tell the English and European champions whether he wants the job.

Wasps have also held talks with Scotland's captain and hooker Gordon Bulloch but no offer of a contract will be made until the new director of rugby is in place.

Jonah Lomu has signed a two-year contract with North Harbour to play in New Zealand's National Provincial Championship and will return in August, little more than a year after the former All Black wing had a kidney transplant.