Hayne eligible for Fiji rugby sevens ahead of Rio 2016 Olympics, compliant with WADA

Rugby union's global governing body has confirmed Jarryd Hayne is eligible to play for Fiji in this weekend's World Rugby Sevens series round in London.

Hayne made the stunning decision to walk away from the NFL and the San Francisco 49ers, saying he "could not pass up" the chance to feature at the Olympic Games.

That announcement was followed by former Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) chief Richard Ings saying Hayne was unlikely to play any professional sport, including rugby sevens, due to his time with the non-WADA compliant NFL.

But World Rugby has cleared the air, saying in a statement that Hayne was eligible for the London round of the World Rugby Sevens series.

"World Rugby is committed to the highest-possible anti-doping standards. The WADA-compliant World Rugby Regulation 21 mirrors the requirements of the World Anti-Doping Code and the WADA International Standard for Testing and Investigations," the statement read.

"It does not require a player to be included in a testing pool for a defined period of time prior to selection if they are being selected for international competition for the first time.

"This position is entirely consistent with World Rugby's approach to other cross-over athletes, including other ex-NFL athletes coming into rugby.

"Therefore, Hayne would be eligible for the London round of the ... World Rugby Sevens Series subject to all other regulatory and registration matters being met.

"He would also be immediately included in World Rugby's pre-Rio 2016 risk-based testing program, which since January 2016 has included a comprehensive program of targeted in and out of competition blood and urine testing on players likely to compete in Rio."

World Rugby added its pre-Olympics testing program also included regular, additional screening for banned substances.

Author: 
ABC Australia