Former France coach Pierre Berbizier on Wednesday denied any involvement in the doping of players following controversial claims made by former international prop Laurent Benezech.
The 54-year-old former international scrum-half told the French Senate there was no truth in claims he and former French Rugby Federation president Bernard Lapasset knowingly authorised doping by players.
Last month Benezech told the Senate he thought he’d been given cortisone injections during the 1995 World Cup, when Berbizier was national team boss, and that it could only have taken place with the management’s blessing.
“These are surreal and misplaced claims,” Berbizier told a senatorial inquiry into doping in sport.
“I completely deny these claims which call into question a federation that, during Lapasset’s reign, never dabbled in that.”
Berbizier said he only came across drugs twice during his career, suggesting that it related to recreational use of cannabis by players rather than performance-enhancing doping.
However, he did admit to feeling troubled by the morphological development of certain players, especially from the southern hemisphere, and to having had to fight against the use of creatine by other players.
“I never witnessed in the world of rugby an organised system of institutionalised doping,” added Berbizier.
However, questioned about a previous claim he made in 2001 in an interview in l’Equipe magazine when he said doping was a “reality in the French league”, Berbizier claimed that was merely a warning rather than a case of whistle-blowing.
Benezech’s accusations also concerned the team doctor during Berbizier’s tenure at the French rugby helm, Marc Bichon.
He too spoke to the Senate to deny any involvement in doping practices.
“I never obeyed any pressure whatsoever (to administer doping products to players) and had Lapasset or Berbizier asked me to do something like that I would have resigned on the spot,” said Bichon.
mania
Guest
probably why we're so mellow here in the capital. it would explain the hurricanes performances. maybe we should hide hamburgers in the in goal area. i was surprised at the availability of recreational drugs in aus, esp sydney. i saw a lot of it at a lot of different party's.
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
Haha yeah, every time I go to NZ, especially to welly, I realise how the country is more into pot-smoking than heavy stuff, very much like the French. Plenty of skate boarders, young lads listening to hip hop and rap. We don't have that as much here in Sydney I would say! First year I spent in Oz in 2000 I was living in collingwood, Melbourne. Was amazed by the number of junkies in the streets. I know it's a hot spot but still.
Rod
Guest
If the Bombers and the Sharks are alleged to have being do it. I,m pretty certain it's happening a lot more than we would like to admit to ourselves as well .I was amazed when an overseas rugby team was staying in Coogee recently. I expected these giant forwards, sure they were big. But the one of the wingers upper body, looked abnormally big, his arms were huge(he would have done the Terminator proud). But hey they do spend a huge amount of time in the gym these days so who knows.
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
Also read an interview from Didier Retiere this week, France u20 coach, who was saying that the French are behind most big teams (the 3 SH, England, Wales and Ireland) when it comes to developing young talent. He was more specifically talking about the quality and quantity of training sessions young players get abroad compare to France and he was saying its probably the reason why the French are behind the others at 18yo. He was saying for example that the saffas and English were much bigger and fitter than the French. Am pretty sure SH youngsters hit the gym at quite an early age compare to the French. Even at professional level, I still think they are behind when it comes to conditioning or gym although it's been probably changing in the last decade or so. The thing is now with Internet, most players, pros or amateurs, have access to banned substances so it's pretty easy for a young lad to buy stuff online and take it privately. Not saying its widespread but pret sure it happens. If someone is still playing rugby and want to share what he is seeing that would be great!
mania
Guest
thanx NOS. NZ is no where near the social druggies that Australia is. NZ is infamous for pot but all the hard core stuff is too expensive and prohibitive to import, where as in Aus, comparitively, its cheap as chips. yeah i always thought france were very proactive with its anti drug policy. tho i'm not naive to think that its never done. this will just be one lone player trying to shift the blame.
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
Hahahaha! Tbh, there are always been doping rumours in France, but for a long time it was mostly aimed at southerners who seemed too big for us, especially saffas. We suspected them to take HGH or steroids in particular! But again the French are very cynical and suspicious so we think most ppl cheat anyway! At amateur level, the only banned substances that were taken in my time, the late 90s, were cannabis, so I wouldn't say it was performance enhancing (France isn't so much into hard recreational drugs like oz or NZ IMO but much more into pot. In my experience at least). I read the report that was published a few months ago and again it seemed most of the positive cases were cannabis. Having said that, I keep reading that doping is a reality in rugby, not only French, but I dunno more than anyone else tbh. In any case, I doubt the problem is bigger over there than it is here. France has always had a hard stance on drugs and creatine for example was banned there in my time (dunno about now tbh).
mania
Guest
wheres NOS? NOS - is doping a part of french rugby? ive never heard of it and wonder if this has any grain of truth to it. sounds pretty far fetched