An Auckland touch rugby player has been suspended for 12 months by the Sports Tribunal for taking a banned substance before the final of the National Touch Championships in early March in Palmerston North.
Wiremu Takerei, a former under-21 New Zealand touch representative, testified he drank what he thought was an energy drink given to him by a team-mate because he was feeling sleepy due to his shiftwork as a storeman.
Unbeknown to him the supplement contained methylhexaneamine, a prohibited substance.