SCOTTISH rugby was today rocked by claims that Watsonian forward Josh Abraham has allegedly failed a routine drug test.
If upheld, the result of the test, which is believed to highlight recreational drug use, would mean a two-year ban for the New Zealander.
The test was carried out following a Scottish Cup quarter-final tie against Biggar at Myreside on April 5.
It is understood 22-year-old Abraham, who joined Watsonians at the start of 2007-08, will have a formal hearing towards the end of this month.
Watsonians today issued a statement, saying: "Watsonian Football Club has had no formal notification from the SRU of any positive doping test result.
"We consider any further comment to be inappropriate such times as facts are established."
Abraham was employed in New Zealand's Customs and Excise before answering a call to join Watsonians last summer.
He was a team-mate in the Wellington club, Tawa, of current Watsonian centre Malasia Mialo.
Abraham was a regular at flanker throughout the season playing more than 20 games.
In the match after which he was tested Abraham contributed two tries in a 29-10 win before dropping out of the side for the cup semi-final and a remaining league match. Watsonian players understood the Maori recruit had suffered a back injury.
On a personal web page Abraham expresses a love of Edinburgh. He says: "Scotland is sooooo much fun."
There is a chapter entitled "what the future holds" and it states: "Gapping it overseas to show the world some more Maori talent ... explore new customs ...basically party hard.
A spokesperson for UK Sport who conduct drug tests for Scottish Rugby said they could neither confirm nor deny whether any positive results had been obtained.
An SRU spokesperson said: "Scottish Rugby does not comment on speculation or rumour regarding any possible doping cases in the sport, whether to deny or confirm any alleged case. If we did have a case it would be inappropriate for us to comment before any required judicial process had been concluded."
In an interview with the Evening News following his two-try display against Biggar Abraham said he was looking forward to touring Europe and returning to Watsonians next season.
The allegations concerning Abraham come within weeks of rugby union being identified as one of the sports providing most positive tests for prohibited drugs, both performance enhancing and recreation, at elite level in Great Britain over the past five years.
Along with rugby league, football and powerlifting it also tops the list for the number of competitors subsequently disciplined. From April 1, 2003, to March 31, 2008, rugby union had 62 positive tests.
The full article contains 453 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
