THE ISSUE OF doping in rugby has been widely discussed in the last few weeks since Paul Kimmage’s interview with former French international Laurent Benezech touched on the subject.

Brian O’Driscoll was on Off The Ball tonight and was asked whether it was something he saw during his career and if it worried him that rival teams were doing it.

Like most of the other players who have been asked about the issue, O’Driscoll feels that the authorities have a handle on the problem.

“I just didn’t think it was happening,” O’Driscoll said.

“You always felt because of how often we were tested there was the belief that every other team was subject to that as well so that the cheats would be weaned out.”

Last week, Ronan O’Gara acknowledged that there were ‘whispers‘ throughout his career that certain players were taking banned substances but O’Driscoll didn’t put much credence into the heresy.

“You do hear rumours but they are just rumours,” O’Driscoll said.

“They aren’t really my concern.”

The increasing size of rugby players means each collision is causing a greater physical damage. O’Driscoll says that isn’t something players think about when they are putting their body on the line out on the pitch.

“You don’t look on it like you are risking yourself,” O’Driscoll said.

“You live in the moment definitely. You aren’t thinking 15 years down the line.”

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