An Exploration of Doping in Recreational Welsh Rugby An Ethical Analysis of Policy Responses

Abstract

Doping is widely misperceived as a problem limited to elite athlete populations. Yet evidence for the occurrence of doping at recreational levels can be found from a variety of sources across a range of sports. Understanding this phenomenon is made problematic because of the difficulties in accessing these athletes. The ambiguity in motivations for doping at this level has led researchers and policy makers to consider whether the problem is more one of public health rather than simply performance-related cheating in sport. This thesis explores the motivations, knowledge, perceived harms, perceptions of anti-doping policy, and the drug use practices of recreational Welsh rugby players, where prevalence is disproportionately high in the UK. Semi structured interviews with recreational Welsh rugby players (n=13) and gym users (n=9) from the South and West Wales region were conducted. Four key themes emerged: (i) the use of doping substances for aesthetic reasons; (ii) a concern for body image that can trigger doping; (iii) a range of problematic risk-taking behaviours; and (iv) lack of concern for anti-doping policy and practice. Given the harms associated with doping, attention was paid to the problem of identifying whether the primary policy response should be driven by health or sport organisations. An alternative policy response within harm reduction is here considered, adapting a contentious framework from the ethics of self-harm. Three broad alternative policy proposals are critically presented in relation to doping in recreational sport: (1) to prevent it; (2) to allow it; and (3) to supervise it. Each model is rejected. Due to the seriousness of the harms associated with doping and the public health threat, it is argued that public health bodies must provide specialist harm reduction for recreational athletes and gym users within Wales, to better protect the health of recreational athletes and the general public.