Positive drugs test for Delasau

It's been a woeful week for wingers. While Welsh and Lions winger Shane Williams cooled his heels in a Cypriot jail after being mistaken for a man who attacked a taxi driver, it was discovered that Canterbury's Fijian winger Winger Vilimoni Delasau didn't have an eye injury after all.

What he did have was a positive drugs test for cannabis and a warning, reprimand and fine from the New Zealand Rugby Union [NZRU]. The media had previously been told Delasau was not appearing in Canterbury's pre-season match against Taranaki or the NPC opener against Southland because of an eye injury.

The 28-year-old Delasau tested positive in a New Zealand Sports Drug Agency (NZDA) test after representing Fiji in their 0-91 test loss to the All Blacks in Albany on June 10. Delasau appeared before the NZRU judicial committee in Wellington and was fined $500. Delasau's involvement in the hearing meant he was suspended provisionally and couldn't turn out for Canterbury's games against Taranaki and Southland.

Delasau's agent, Warren Alcock, said his client was a "very religious man who did not drink alcohol".

"As I understand it was totally out of character for him," Alcock said. "It was in a moment with a friend and at a time of great stress in his personal life."

Canterbury Rugby Football Union chief executive Hamish Riach said the province was "naturally disappointed but had been impressed by his honesty and remorseful behaviour since the incident. Vilimoni is incredibly embarrassed and deeply regrets his actions," Riach said.

Riach described the positive test as an "isolated incident".

"While we don't condone the use of drugs for recreational or performance-enhancing reasons, we are aware of the personal circumstances surrounding the incident. Vilimoni clearly breached the rules and must now accept the penalty."

Last month New Zealand Sports Drug Agency executive director Graeme Steel said he wanted the World Anti-doping Agency, to wipe cannabis from its banned list so it can concentrate on catching "cheats" who use performance-enhancing drugs such as steroids, human-growth hormones and EPO.

"We don't want to be seen as social police," Steel was reported as saying. "We've always regarded ourselves as being here to stop cheats. Now we have to spend time doing other things, which we are not well set up to do."

Meanwhile Williams, the 28-year-old Lions wing, was enjoying the last day of a two-week holiday in Ayia Napa when police took him into custody and confiscated his passport. Williams described his time in the Larnaca cell as "the longest 24 hours of my life" and was forced to fly in his solicitor, John Morris.

"I didn't understand the language and didn't know what was going on at all." Williams does not intend to lodge any complaint.

- AGENCIES