Berkeley_Eagle
Current Status: 24/7 Manly Fan
SONNY Bill Williams and Kieran Foran have been identified internally as two of several New Zealand players under investigation for allegedly taking sleeping pills and energy drinks at the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.
Sources within the team have said the experienced duo were two of the players singled out at a players-only meeting after the quarter-final against Scotland.
There were at least five Kiwi players involved across the tournament and, in the meeting before the semi-final, some were “named and shamed’’ over use of sleeping pills and energy drinks and told it must stop.
New Zealand’s Herald on Sunday is still confirming the identity of others.
Mixing sleeping pills with energy drinks is not illegal; the combination of the stimulant of the energy drinks and the sleeping pills can produce a sensation not unlike recreational drugs but does not fall foul of drug laws.
The Herald on Sunday reported last month that during the World Cup there were concerns about some individuals, with players confronted because of their appearance and asked if they had been drinking - some players looked “dozy and half asleep” at the wrong time of the day.
Williams and Foran, who both played in the 2013 NRL Grand Final, were room-mates for part of the World Cup.
They have been mainstays of the Kiwis - Williams was clearly the best player in the semi-final. Both are model trainers and Foran was outstanding when given the captain’s armband at short notice in last year’s Anzac Test.
The circumstances of the tour are part of an ongoing review by the New Zealand Rugby League.
NZRL CEO Phil Holden, when asked about the identity of the players, said: “We are not going to be confirming or naming players. There is nothing to be gained and we can’t. I have made it very clear that this is not a linear issue; it is very complex, privacy laws are involved, employment laws and contractual obligations between us, the players and the organisation.’’
Williams’ manager Khoder Nasser and Kieran Foran did not respond to interview requests.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/cup-scandal-erupts-sonny-bill-williams-and-kieran-foran-under-investigation-for-mixing-pills-and-drinks/story-fni3fbgz-1226821522766
Sources within the team have said the experienced duo were two of the players singled out at a players-only meeting after the quarter-final against Scotland.
There were at least five Kiwi players involved across the tournament and, in the meeting before the semi-final, some were “named and shamed’’ over use of sleeping pills and energy drinks and told it must stop.
New Zealand’s Herald on Sunday is still confirming the identity of others.
Mixing sleeping pills with energy drinks is not illegal; the combination of the stimulant of the energy drinks and the sleeping pills can produce a sensation not unlike recreational drugs but does not fall foul of drug laws.
The Herald on Sunday reported last month that during the World Cup there were concerns about some individuals, with players confronted because of their appearance and asked if they had been drinking - some players looked “dozy and half asleep” at the wrong time of the day.
Williams and Foran, who both played in the 2013 NRL Grand Final, were room-mates for part of the World Cup.
They have been mainstays of the Kiwis - Williams was clearly the best player in the semi-final. Both are model trainers and Foran was outstanding when given the captain’s armband at short notice in last year’s Anzac Test.
The circumstances of the tour are part of an ongoing review by the New Zealand Rugby League.
NZRL CEO Phil Holden, when asked about the identity of the players, said: “We are not going to be confirming or naming players. There is nothing to be gained and we can’t. I have made it very clear that this is not a linear issue; it is very complex, privacy laws are involved, employment laws and contractual obligations between us, the players and the organisation.’’
Williams’ manager Khoder Nasser and Kieran Foran did not respond to interview requests.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/cup-scandal-erupts-sonny-bill-williams-and-kieran-foran-under-investigation-for-mixing-pills-and-drinks/story-fni3fbgz-1226821522766
