The French rugby federation (FFR) has cleared former All Blacks Dan Carter and Joe Rokocoko, as well as their Racing Metro team mate Juan Imhoff, of any doping wrongdoings after the French Championship final, the club said on Tuesday.
French newspaper L’Equipe reported earlier this month that tests conducted after the Top 14 final in June, in which Carter’s Racing Metro beat Toulon 29-21, showed the players had tested positive for corticoids, typically used to treat inflammation or joint pain.
In confirming the news that their players’ names have been cleared, the French club released a statement hitting back at the media for their coverage of the case.
“As we pointed out on Friday October 7th,” reads the statement, “the term corticosteroid has strong emotional connotations because it can correspond to immoral and illegal conduct. It also corresponds to legal conduct, justified by medical science.
“The utmost precaution should be applied when using it….and when speaking about it. In the present case, the ignorance shown by those who dealt with the subject, the confusion, approximation and blatant mistakes published without reserve have severely damaged the image of the club and its members.
“Covering deviant medical practices is commendable.
“But to run such coverage for three days with headlines and photos implicating a club is reprehensible, because of the negative perceptions inevitably falls back on the club and its players.
“It is an attempt to exploit a banal piece of information.
“In ethical terms, what has happened is mind-boggling. What is left once the doubt has been lifted? What is left in a world where conspiracy theories become the only keys to understanding?
“What is left is doubt, disgrace and huge damage.”
The FFR opened a disciplinary case against the club last week after Racing denied they had breached anti-doping rules.
Carter and Rokocoko's agent, Simon Porter, had earlier said that the duo had been granted Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) for the prescribed medication as they recovered from injuries.
“I just received the ruling from the FFR today,” Carter said in a statement on Instagram.
“No surprises that the FFR’s ruling was that I’d done nothing wrong. I hold my integrity and the game of rugby’s integrity in the highest regard.
“I love this game and owe so much to rugby that I would never do anything intentionally to bring it into disrepute.
“Whilst this whole episode is disappointing and frustrating, I support the authorities who work hard to ensure our game is played fairly. I am glad that we can now put all this behind us so I can now concentrate on playing rugby!”
