Are steroids as big of an issue in Rugby as they are in American sports right now?

Question

seems a whole lot of people in American Football and Baseball are using performance enhancing drugs. Does rugby have this problem?

Answer 1

I believe there is a problem with steroid use in sports in Australia, and not just in the football codes. Every couple of years, right before the olympics, you hear allegations of cyclists or swimmers or track and field athletes using steroids and other performance enhancing drugs. The reason that these drugs get used is that a lot of the users believe that if they don't they are so far behind the rest of the competition that they have no chance in competition because their competitors are using them. I don't know any statistics to prove or disprove the use of steroids in competetion but the athletes themselves would have a good idea of who is using them and who isn't. The only way I see of removing the drugs from sport is to take away the professionalism out of sport and reduce the amount of prize money available to win. If sports competiton was all amateur then there wouldn't be the financial pressure on a participant to win at all costs, and to take performance enhancing drugs.

To be perfectly honest, I don't understand why there is so much money in sport. They aren't manufacturing a consumer product, it is not productive work of any kind, it doesn't feed the starving millions, it doesn't house the homeless and it doesn't cure cancer. The taking of steroids only enhances ones chance of developing cancers.

Answer 2

steroids isn't a problem-it's illicit drugs i.e ecstacy etc.

Even then rugby is a much cleaner sport than any american counterpart.

Answer 3

Steroids are nowhere near the problem in Rugby that they are in American sports.  There is undoubtedly steroid use in Rugby but it is always isolated incidents.

I think a huge part of that is because of our cultural backgrounds and populations.  Before I get into my rant, I want to say that nothing I say is meant to be racist or derogatory in any way, if it comes across like that, then I have simply failed to relay my full meaning.  I will also speak in huge generalities that obvious wouldn't cover an entire population.

I notice a lot of professional athletes in the US say they grew up in the ghetto's and had hard lives on the streets, in bad neighbourhoods, father or even both parents that deserted them as kids etc.  It's a tough place to get out of and the easiest way is through sports so a lot of people will do whatever it takes to get noticed in their sport of choice.

Some get there through steroids etc, some get there through talent but start the drugs to stay there or get to the top.  A majority get there on talent and stay clean though!

I also think that African Americans are amazingly blessed physically.  They dominate the NBA and NFL and for other races (and even some African Americans) they need to turn to drugs to compete.  Baseball is a bit different in that most of the players are from Latin American countries.  I think a huge drive for some of them is to make money to get themselves or their families out of their home countries and into the US.

All countries have a big gap between the rich and the poor but I think the gap in the US is just so much bigger, and the bigger population means that more people are going to do whatever it takes to close that gap.

The insane amounts of money in US sports is the main reason behind it though.  You can make a fantastic living as a professional rugby player, but the highest paid rugby player would probably drool all over the amount of money an NFL kicker can make!

Bottom line answer to your question, no doubt steroids are used in Rugby somewhere, but no, it is not even close to the problem in the US.