Thursday 23 August 2018 12:33, UK
Wakefield prop Adam Walker has been banned for 20 months over an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV).
Walker was provisionally suspended more than a year ago over a positive test for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, after Trinity's Super League clash with Widnes.
He was charged with an ADRV pursuant to Article 2.1 of the Anti-Doping Rules - "Presence of a Prohibited Substance or its Metabolites or Markers in an Athlete's Sample".
Walker will not be eligible to return until March 13, 2019, with his ban having been backdated to the date of his offence - July 14, 2017.
UK Anti-Doping chief executive Nicole Sapstead said: "While UKAD accepts ADRVs don't always stem from a deliberate intention to cheat, athletes must always adhere to the principle of strict liability.
"Cocaine is banned in-competition and athletes are solely responsible for what is in their system, regardless of whether there is an intention to cheat or not.
"Sportspeople must be aware that using cocaine, even out-of-competition, will put them at risk of breaking the anti-doping rules and receiving a long ban."
