Otago has confirmed two representative women's rugby players have been suspended for smoking cannabis.
Victoria Nafatali and Nicola Crawford have been banned from playing for the Otago Spirit for the rest of the season.
Nafatali, a fullback or centre from the Pirates club, started in Otago's first two games, while lock-loose forward Crawford, from Alhambra-Union, was on the bench both times.
Both players are relatively new.
Nafatali has played just nine games for the Spirit and is in her first year out of Kaikorai Valley College, while Crawford made her debut last year and was a Gore High School pupil in 2007.
Their use of cannabis is believed to have been a significant factor in the decision of rookie coach Jonathon Homer to quit last week.
Otago Rugby Football Union chief executive Richard Reid said any drug allegations were taken seriously by the union.
"We've investigated and we are satisfied there is truth to it," Reid said yesterday.
"We've dealt with the people involved."
Reid said there was no suggestion the incident was indicative of a drug culture within the side.
"I don't want to be judgemental or otherwise. It's a societal thing.
"We shouldn't ever be surprised that these sorts of things happen. Young women and young men are just a reflection of society. In this case, they're playing for a rugby team."
The ORFU takes a dim view on recreational drug use, but it has to deal with offending players differently.
For the leading men's players, employment contracts clearly spell out the issue and the possible punishment, while representative players under the age of 18 have special behaviour documents to sign.
"You can't do that with adults. The law of the land just clicks in, really," Reid said.
Experienced coach Phil Young guided the Spirit in a caretaker capacity at the weekend, and last year's coach, John Kyle, will return to coach the team for the rest of the season.
