Welsh Rugby Union player Joshua Hicks receives additional 18-month ban

Welsh Rugby Union player Joshua Hicks has received an additional 18-month ban from all sport after breaching the terms of his current ban for the Presence and Use of Prohibited Substances.  

In October 2023, UKAD received information that Mr Hicks had breached the terms of his ban by participating in three football fixtures in September 2023, under the jurisdiction of the Football Association of Wales. Mr Hicks accepted that he committed the breaches of his ban and was issued with an additional 18-month ban from all sport.  

Mr Hicks was already serving a four-year ban (running from 15 December 2022 to midnight on 15 December 2026) after a Sample he provided on 8 October 2022 returned Adverse Analytical Findings (AAFs) for anastrozole, drostanolone, and metabolites of tamoxifen and drostanolone. 

Mr Hicks’ additional 18-month ban will begin on 16 December 2026 and will expire on 15 June 2028. 

Read UKAD’s Issued Decision on Joshua Hicks’ breach of ban online. 

Notes to Editors 

Technical terms and more information:

• Please note, unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, capitalised terms used in this announcement have the meaning given to them in the UK Anti-Doping Rules and/or World Anti-Doping Code.  

• A breach of ban is referred to in the UK Anti-Doping Rules as a violation of the prohibition against participation during a period of Ineligibility (ADR Article 10.14.1).