United Arab Emirates player Duncan Murray has received a 12-month sanction after testing positive for the stimulant Methylhexaneamine (MHA) during the HSBC Asian 5 Nations tournament in 2011.

Murray was provisionally suspended by the IRB on May 28, 2011 and will be able to return to the Game on May 27, 2012.

MHA is classified on the WADA Prohibited List as a Stimulant and prohibited In Competition only. It is also classified as a specified substance.

The IRB issued a warning to all Member Unions in November 2010 regarding the dangers of this substance appearing in various nutritional supplements.

MHA was contained in a pre-match sports drink (Jack3D) which Murray consumed prior to a match in the team change room after the drink was passed around by his teammates.

Click here for the full decision of this case.

IRB Anti-Doping Manager Tim Ricketts said: “This is the IRB’s fourth positive finding in 2011 for MHA after three Sri Lankan players tested positive during the same tournament after another supplement (Hemo-Rage) was made freely available to Players in the change room by another Player. MHA is popping up in all sorts of nutritional supplements and has many variants and names which means that players must ensure that they check what they are consuming and fully understand the WADA Prohibited List. Players should avoid taking supplements from teammates or any other source as they are solely responsible if a prohibited substance is found in their system.”

For more information on MHA please click here, or to view the IRB’s position on dietary supplements click here.