International Rugby League appoint new anti-doping partner

International Rugby League (IRL) has appointed Clean Game as its independent anti-doping partner.

Clean Game is a non-governmental organisation based in Serbia and operated by the officials responsible for the national anti-doping systems in several countries. It is a three-year partnership initially.

IRL undertook a rigorous process that included the consideration of 11 tenders from expert organisations from around the world

Clean Game will take up its appointment immediately and will be a fully integrated part of the IRL’s operations. They are responsible for all aspects of IRL’s anti-doping function, including education, risk assessment, test planning and compliance with WADA’s Anti-Doping Code, as well as member relations.

International Rugby League’s Global Operations Manager, Danny Kazandjian, commented: “We are on a journey to transform the organisation into a high capacity international federation, one that is equipped not only to service its members’ and supporters’ requirements but also one that takes its responsibilities as a member of the international sporting community very seriously.

“One of any IF’s most important responsibilities is an effective and extensive anti-doping function. We are delighted to be partnering with Clean Game, which is an experienced IF partner with an excellent reputation in the anti-doping community. All the tenderers we spoke to were very supportive of the steps we are taking, and I would like to thank them for their dedication. I would also like to thank WADA for its guidance and encouragement throughout this process and look forward to evolving our plans with them over the coming weeks and months.”

Professor Nenad Dikic, director of Clean Game, said: “International Rugby League is an international federation with whom every anti-doping organisation would like to work. It will be a significant task for Clean Game to support International Rugby League and its players on all continents.  This is not a duty for the simple service provider, but it is a job for an experienced anti-doping organisation which knows how to support International Rugby League in every aspect of anti-doping. We want to thank International Rugby League for its confidence in us and the opportunity to work together.”