Dunedin club rugby player Carlin Wilkinson-Ballantine has been left "dumbfounded" by the Sport Integrity Commission’s decision to publicly out him as a drug cheat.
Wilkinson-Ballantine has received a four-year ban from all sport for breaking anti-doping rules.
While he has accepted the decision, the 30-year-old blindside flanker was shocked the commission yesterday released its decision to the media.
"I’m actually pretty dumbfounded about that, to be honest, because we’re going through the appeal right now," Wilkinson-Ballantine told the Otago Daily Times.
"So the fact that they’ve just gone and done it while the appeal is under way is pretty abysmal, man."
Wilkinson-Ballantine started a roofing business in April and was worried the bad publicity would affect his livelihood.
"A lot of my business comes through rugby.
"I can understand the ban and everything like that.
"I can completely understand that, but the lack of name suppression, and the bit of allowance of saying, ‘Oh, hey, you can appeal’ and then going, ‘Oh, nah, we’re just going to put your name out’ ..."
Wilkinson-Ballantine, who played in the premier development grade for the Dunedin club this year, admitted buying clenbuterol, an anabolic agent that is a banned substance in all sports.
A package addressed to Wilkinson-Ballantine, containing both clenbuterol and tamoxifen, was intercepted by the New Zealand Customs Service in February.
While he admitted he had bought clenbuterol, he denied ordering tamoxifen.
When reaching its decision, the New Zealand Rugby judicial committee was not satisfied he ordered the tamoxifen, but banned him from all sport for four years for the clenbuterol breach.
The sanction was backdated to June 10, 2024.
Wilkinson-Ballantine said he had not been planning on playing this season when he ordered the clenbuterol, but he went along to preseason training to keep fit and was talked into playing.
"And then I just didn’t think about it, and I was like, ‘Oh yeah, sweet, I’ll just go play’.
"Like I said, you do the deed, you do the time. But it’s a heavy punishment for, you know, for the purchase."
Otago Rugby Football Union chief executive Richard Kinley said there were 8000 registered players in the area and they could not provide anti-doping guidance directly.
"But there is ample information available ... should they want to read it," Mr Kinley said.
"We do run a more in-depth programme for players who are involved with [representative] programmes.
"I’ve been here 12 seasons and this is the first time that I’ve come across this in rugby in Otago."
Dunedin senior club chairman Cam Burrow declined to be interviewed, but provided a statement.
"This was a confidential process led by the Sport Integrity Commission and New Zealand Rugby
... There is no space for drugs in sport."
Sport Integrity Commission chief executive officer Rebecca Rolls commented on the harm that intentional doping could do to all those who play sport, not just the person using banned substances.
"Doping doesn’t just put an individual’s health at risk, it denies all those who play sport the chance to compete on a level playing field.
"No New Zealand athlete should lose a competition, medal or place on a team to someone who has doped to get there.
"That’s why we have sports anti-doping rules — to protect athlete health and the right to fair play, whatever our level of competition."
