World Rugby joins WADA to build #OnePlayTrueTeam on Play True Day 2024
In support of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Play True Day, World Rugby is joining the global sporting community on 19 April to help promote the importance of clean sport.
Born out of an education conference hosted by WADA in 2013, and attended by 17 Latin American countries, Play True Day has grown into an annual initiative that reaches millions of people each year.
Play True Day performs a leading education role for athletes and the wider sporting public about all matters anti-doping, the importance of making the right choices and the range of educational materials available, such as World Rugby’s nutritional supplement videos.
This year, WADA is calling on the global anti-doping community to help build the world’s biggest team playing for clean sport; #OnePlayTrueTeam.
#OnePlayTrueTeam is designed to include everyone that contributes to clean sport from an athlete’s coaches, doctors and family to their colleagues, friends and anyone else who supports them and inspires them to Play True.
World Rugby Director, Anti-Doping Mike Earl said: "World Rugby is delighted to support the WADA Play True Day initiative.
"Integrity is the cornerstone of our sport, and we recognise the importance of ensuring that our players and support staff around the world are provided with the tools, encouragement and support to compete clean.
"Through Play True Day and our flagship Keep Rugby Clean awareness campaign, we can ensure that the right messages are being delivered to the right participants at the right times, and that we can all contribute to maintaining a level playing field for our sport."
Last year was a bumper one for anti-doping education as World Rugby ran Keep Rugby Clean Days during a host of competitions, including the Men’s Rugby World Cup in France and World Rugby U20 Championship in South Africa.
World Rugby launched Keep Rugby Clean in 2005 and it has supported players and team management across the game ever since.
The programme aims to deter doping by educating participants on their responsibilities, raising awareness of doping risks and fostering an ethical clean-sport ethos.
During 2023, 2,899 players were tested across all disciplines of men’s and women’s rugby, with 1,470 of those undertaken in competition and 1,429 out of competition.
“What we are not looking for as a team, or personally, are shortcuts,” Argentina scrum-half Gonzalo Bertranou said during RWC 2023.
“Taking any substance that can lead you to take an advantage ahead of your opponent is taking a shortcut. Reaching the highest standard is the result of many years of preparation, many years of effort.
“I am proud there is so much testing and so many controls to ensure the sport is clean.”
For more information, visit www.world.rugby/keeprugbyclean.
