Terry Newton, the former Great Britain rugby league forward is the first sports star in the world to have hGH analysed from a blood sample, which led to his two-year ban.

"This is a landmark in the fight against doping," said UKAD chief executive Andy Parkinson.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_leag...eld/8528477.stm

No kidding!

Given that an HGH test was supposedly first introduced for Athens '04, if not earlier (I found some references for '00), this one obviously isn't easy with six years to the first positive. And, it must be expensive. Though it is thought to be a drug du jour, promises of the "toughest drug testing yet" at Vancouver 2010 will only see a portion be tested for HGH

The International Olympic Committee plans to conduct 2,500 tests during the Games, about 70 per cent more than in the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Italy. The tests include 500 blood tests to check for human growth hormone, as well as new tests to target EPO

But, Rugby, who would have thought it was so dirty as to achieve this distinction?

Dave.

"I suggest to cheaters to keep in mind that the World Anti-Doping Code makes it possible to open a disciplinary proceeding within eight years from the date an anti-doping rule violation occurred, and that stored samples can be re-analyzed."

That from the General Director of WADA, which makes me wonder, can they do that to users such as De Luca and Ricco, Rassmussen, etc, at will, or was there a cut off date that the 8-year retro testing applies to?

Rugby league.

I'm sure actual rugby is as pure as the driven (Cypress) snow!