Rugby League player Harry Tyson-Wilson receives three-year ban for Anti-Doping Rule Violations
Rugby League player, Harry Tyson-Wilson has been banned from all sport for a period of three years following Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) for Use and Possession of a Prohibited Substance.
On 18 May 2022, UKAD received information from the police regarding the production, manufacture, and supply of Prohibited Substances by and to a number of individuals. UKAD commenced an investigation and was subsequently able to identify Rugby League player Mr Tyson-Wilson as one of the purchasers of the Prohibited Substances.
Evidence obtained by UKAD showed that on 6 March 2019, Mr Tyson-Wilson made a purchase of dianabol, a variant of metandienone. Metandienone is listed under S1(1) of the 2019 WADA Prohibited List as an Anabolic Androgenic Steroid and is a non-Specified Substance, which is prohibited at all times.
UKAD interviewed Mr Tyson-Wilson on 7 March 2022, where he admitted to purchasing metandienone online in March 2019 and paying for it to be delivered to his home address. Mr Tyson-Wilson also accepted being in possession of the Prohibited Substance after its arrival at his home address.
On 12 April 2023, UKAD notified Mr Tyson-Wilson that he may have committed two ADRVs contrary to Article 2.2 (Use or Attempted Use by an Athlete of a Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method), and Article 2.6 (Possession of a Prohibited Substance and/or a Prohibited Method) of the 2015 UK Anti-Doping Rules (‘2015 ADR’). UKAD provisionally suspended the player from this date.
On 18 May 2023, Mr Tyson-Wilson was charged by UKAD with both ADRVs. The player responded on 7 June 2023 admitting the charges and accepting the asserted period of Ineligibility of four years.
Mr Tyson-Wilson benefited from a one-year reduction to his ban after admitting the violation and accepting the asserted period of Ineligibility within 20 days of receiving the Charge (pursuant to 2021 ADR Article 10.8.1).
Mr Tyson-Wilson’s period of Ineligibility is deemed to have commenced from the date of his Provisional Suspension on 12 April 2023 and will end at midnight on 11 April 2026.
Speaking on the case, Hamish Coffey, UKAD Director of Operations, said:
“Anabolic steroids have no place in sport. There are serious consequences for any Athlete caught in possession of them. It’s imperative that Athletes respect their responsibilities under the Anti-Doping Rules and conduct themselves with integrity both on and off the field.
“This case is a further example of the strong strategic collaborations UKAD has in place with law enforcement partners, and we thank them for their continued support in UKAD’s delivery of intelligence-led anti-doping programmes.”
The Rugby Football League added, “We support UKAD in their determination to ensure that sport is clean, and in working with other law enforcement partners to do so.”
