Keith Wood says that the recent revelations about children using anabolic steroids in a South African rugby exhibition is ‘soul-destroying’, and has advocated testing young athletes to stop it.
Keith was speaking on Wednesday Night Rugby in association with Eir Sport, after six players tested positive for steroids at the 2018 Craven Week. The South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS) revealed the results in the organisation’s annual report.
This is the latest in a spate of anti-doping concerns for South Africa, and Keith believes that this is one of the most alarming.
“It is absolutely horrible. The only up-side to the story is that the South African anti-drug authorities came out so strongly against it. The extent of that report is quite harrowing. They say ‘we keep bringing this to your attention – you need to do something about it.’
“I’ve got three sons in school – if that was on the table anywhere, there would absolutely be uproar.
“It’s in a country […] where far more drugs tests seemed to be failed over there. It seems to be part and parcel of it – it’s soul destroying.”
One aspect of the report stands out as being particularly troubling.
“There’s a one-liner out of that that frightens me, where they say that the sophisticated guys are not being caught. I mean, who is sophisticated at 14 or 15 years of age going to Craven Week?
“It is actually soul-destroying to see that that would be part and parcel of it. And I don’t quite know what you’re supposed to say or do at that. Traditionally, children aren’t tested. They absolutely should be, because we have to make certain that we get this out of the sport.”
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