Rugby union player sanctioned
Sport Integrity Australia acknowledges the decision of the French Anti-Doping Agency, Agence Francaise De Lutte Contre Le Dopage (AFLD) to impose a four-year period of Ineligibility on Australian athlete Charles Rorke for the Presence and/or Use of a Prohibited Substance, namely Enobosarm (Ostarine).
Mr Rorke, a rugby union player for the USON Nevers rugby team within the second division of the French professional league at the time, returned an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) from an Out of-Competition doping control test on 31 October 2022.
Mr Rorke’s sample was analysed by the AFLD and the presence of Enobosarm (Ostarine) was detected.
The substance Ostarine is listed under Class S1.2 (Other Anabolic Agents) under the World Anti-Doping Code – International Standard – Prohibited List – 2022 and is classified as a Non-Specified Substance, prohibited at all times.
AFLD imposed a four-year period of Ineligibility on Mr Rorke commencing on 9 December 2022.
Mr Rorke is ineligible to participate in any sports that have adopted a World Anti-Doping Code compliant anti-doping policy until 9 December 2026.
He is also not permitted to compete in a non-Signatory professional league or Event organised by a non-Signatory International Event organisation or a non-Signatory national-level event organisation.
Additional information on the Prohibited Substance
Ostarine is a Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator (SARM) that is not approved for human use or consumption in Australia. SARMs pose serious health concerns, including increased risk of heart attack, stroke and life-threatening liver toxicity.
SARMs are claimed to induce muscle (and bone) growth without the side effects associated with steroid use.
However, information on the safety of SARMs is scarce due to a lack of medium and long-term clinical trials.
Anabolic agents pose many threats to an athlete’s health and some side effects may include an increase in blood pressure and cholesterol levels which can lead to heart disease. Liver disease and infertility can also result from the use of these agents.
