Drug Testing

OVERVIEW OF TESTING PROGRAMME

In the year 2005/06 the Agency conducted 1602 tests. 1262 of these tests were part of the Annual Testing Programme operated by the Drug Free Sport NZ and funded by Government. 340 tests were conducted on a fee for service basis under contract to organisations including the World Anti-Doping Agency and the NZ Rugby Union.

The method of testing is governed by the Sports Drug (Urine Testing) Regulations 1994 which accompany the New Zealand Sports Drug Agency Act. In addition the Drug Free Sport NZ applies the "International Standard for Doping Control" a quality system which the Agency helped develop as part of the work of the International Anti-Doping Arrangement. The World Anti-Doping Programme has incorporated the majority of the "ISDC" into its mandatory Testing Standard which must be applied to all testing under the World Anti-Doping Code.

Drug Free Sport NZ has Certification of its Doping Control work, under the International Standards Organisation (ISO) protocol.

Testing is conducted both in competition (40% of the total) and out of competition (60%). All Drug Free Sport NZ Programme testing is done at "no-notice" to the competitor, that is to say the competitor receives no prior warning and is accompanied at all times following notification until a sample is provided.

Selection of athletes in competition is normally pre-determined by e.g. placing, or shirt number. Any athlete participating in any sporting event may be selected for drug testing although, of course, the Agency focuses on elite level competition.


Only athletes that are on the Register Testing Pool (RTP) are tested out of competition by Drug Free Sport NZ. The athletes who should be on the RTP are identified by the athletes' National Sporting Organisation who provide Drug Free Sport NZ with the names and details necessary for the testing to be carried out any time, any where. The athletes on the RTP are usually the elite and potential elite (or development) athletes. Athletes can only be removed from the RTP on written advice from their NSO when the athlete has retired or is no longer competing at the level deemed appropriate for inclusion. A break in competing and/or training for any length of time is not a reason for deletion from the RTP.

Out of competition selections are done predominantly by a computer software programme which takes into account a range of variables, particularly the "weighting"/priority assigned to the sport. Competitors are target tested if the programme requirements indicate that is appropriate.

As at July 2003 the Agency only collects urine samples which are provided under direct observation by an accredited drug testing official. Regulations to provide for taking blood samples will be in place under new legislation from July 1, 2007. This will enable the Agency to screen athletes for epo use and possibly other substances which are currently undetectable.

All urine samples must be sent to a laboratory accredited for this work by the IOC, a role undertaken by the World Anti-Doping Agency in 2004.

In 2005/06 fifteen samples produced positive tests. In the event of both a positive result and a failure to provide a sample, the circumstances must be fully considered by the Board of the Agency before a "Determination" is reached. The circumstances in which the Board may find a positive test or a refusal not to be an infraction are set out in the Act and are very limited.

Once an Infraction has been determined it is reported to the relevant sport which must then conduct a hearing and apply whatever sanction is appropriate under their rules. Sanctions are expected to be within the narrow band indicated currently by the IOC Anti-Doping Code and, in the future, the World Anti-Doping Code. Sports that do not comply with this, or other common anti-doping policy conditions, put at risk any funding provided by Government.