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Rugby

'I used to see things that I wasn't very comfortable with'

In October, former France rugby player Laurent Benezech published a book titled Rugby, Ou Sont te...



'I used to see things that...
Rugby

'I used to see things that I wasn't very comfortable with'

In October, former France rugby player Laurent Benezech published a book titled Rugby, Ou Sont tes Valeurs (Rugby, where are your values) which detailed the use of "medical assistance" in the sport.

During his career, the 48-year-old former prop was capped by France and played for clubs like Toulouse and Harlequins.

Tonight, Benezech joined us on the line to talk about the issue of drugs in the sport.

"I used to see things that I wasn't very comfortable with," said Benezech, who is concerned by the noticeable change in the physique of modern rugby players, although he is reluctant to refer to it as "doping".

"What scared me last year was to see how much a player has to achieve to be able to play at the top level, and how much pressure they're under to achieve the goal of the team - and I'm talking about national games or international rugby.

"Apparently there is a culture of a lot of rugby teams and players taking painkillers before walking onto the pitch. For me that is something which is a concern for me."

Benezech was sued by the Players' Union, Proval, in a case he would eventually win with the help of experts. He wants to create a debate about the issue in order to protect player welfare.

"It's an unknown world where you have doctors saying 'we are in control'. But no, they are not in control. They have no scientific proof for what they are doing."

Benezech also went into more detail about supplement use and the tie-in to rapid muscle growth, and was also critical of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

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