Newton handed drugs ban

Wakefield hooker Terry Newton has been provisionally banned after testing positive for a prohibited substance.

Newton, 31, only moved to Belle Vue in the close season from Bradford.

The former Great Britain international has been suspended by the UK anti-doping agency after failing a test on 24th November 2009.

A club statement read: “Wakefield Trinity Wildcats nor Terry Newton will be making any further comment on the issue until further notice.”

Rugby League operates a robust in- and out-of-competition testing programme of both urine and blood and its Anti-Doping Regulations have been fully WADA Code Compliant since 2005.  This means that players can be tested following a game or subjected to testing without prior notice.

Since 2005 a total of 1,922 tests have taken place at all levels of the game.

According to UK Sport figures Rugby League players were tested 508 times for prohibited substances from April 1 2008 to March 31 2009.  This is the third highest of all UK major sports behind football and athletics.  Approximately 628 tests were expected to have been taken from April 1 2009 to March 31 2010 and for the year 2010-2011 the RFL have requested 650 tests from UKAD.

Last season, Wigan second-rower Gareth Hock was suspended for two years after testing positive for a metabolite of cocaine.