RUGBY PLAYER SUSPENDED AND FINED FOR DOPING
30 September 2026
An LNA (Swiss National League A) rugby player has been suspended for one month due to the presence of the prohibited substance of abuse tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and must pay a fine.
During an in-competition doping control, LNA rugby player, Vincent Levrey, tested positive for 11-nor-9-carboxy-delta-THC, a metabolite of the specified substance THC (cannabis), which is prohibited in competition.
The athlete was subsequently informed of the positive sample by Swiss Sport Integrity (SSI) and accepted a provisional suspension.
The athlete did not contest the fact that an objective anti-doping rule violation had occurred. He admitted to recreational cannabis use—unrelated to his athletic performance—and accepted the one-month suspension and the 100 Swiss francs fine proposed by SSI as part of the results management process. In addition to the fine, the athlete was required to cover the costs of the doping control and analysis, amounting to 759 Swiss francs.
If a violation involves substances of abuse consumed out of competition and not intended to enhance athletic performance, a lighter sanction may be imposed in accordance with the Anti-Doping Statute.
If the athlete completes a substance abuse treatment programme at their own expense—as was the case here—the suspension may be reduced to one month.
The suspension ran from 22 July 2026, the start date of the provisional suspension, to 21 August 2026, and applied to all sports and all roles within sport worldwide.
SSI reminds all athletes that the detection of prohibited substances during a doping control—regardless of the purpose of their use—is considered a positive test result. The use of prohibited substances is also subject to sanctions when they are consumed outside of a sporting context and not primarily for performance-enhancing purposes.
We act in sports doping cases in Switzerland and further information may be obtained from either Dr Lucien Valloni or Kim Gamboni by emailing them at ‘valloni@valloni.ch’ and ‘gambon@valloni.ch respectively.