UKAD announces ground-breaking partnership with the RFL to commission anti-doping research

UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) has partnered with the Rugby Football League (RFL) to jointly commission research exploring the risks and societal influences towards performance enhancing drug use in the sport. 

This is the first research project in UKAD’s history co-funded and co-designed in collaboration with a sport’s National Governing Body. The organisation, which has a mission to protect sport from doping cheats, aims for this to be the first of many leading-edge research projects initiated with individual sports. 

The joint UKAD and RFL project aims to better understand the unique risk factors across the top tiers of professional Rugby League, identifying where moments of vulnerability can occur. The project will focus on collecting lived experiences and associated data. With both organisations exploring attitudes, motivations and behaviours, the findings will help enhance education interventions and anti-doping strategies to prevent, detect and deter cheating. The ultimate goal is to help reduce the number of Anti-Doping Rule Violations.

Dr Nikola Costa, UKAD’s Research and Innovation Lead, said: 

“It is important to understand how Rugby League players may find themselves in situations where they believe doping will give them an edge despite the potentially career-shortening risks to their sporting lives. We need to recognise how those moments of vulnerability manifest and work on developing interventions to prevent players choosing the wrong path.

“Only by delving into the specific context of a sport will we truly understand the pressures of that environment and be best positioned to create tailored preventative strategies. The RFL has shown great commitment to addressing doping and this joint venture is testament to that. This is an exciting and vital piece of work which we hope inspires others to work with UKAD on research projects in the future.”

Prof Ben Jones, RFL’s Strategic Lead on Performance and Research, commented: 

“The RFL condemns doping in sport, as it is damaging to a player’s health and wellbeing, to the wider team ethos, and undermines the core values of fair play. The RFL recognises that participants have a right to compete on a level playing field in a doping-free environment and is committed to working with UKAD to achieve and champion clean sport across both the professional and community game.” 

Call for Proposals from academics

The Call for Proposals document in response to this tender is now published on UKAD’s Research webpage, which invites academics to submit proposals for this project to UKAD’s Insight and Innovation team. The application deadline is Monday 30 September 2024 and work is anticipated to commence from November 2024.