Players suspended after taking wrong drugs: NZRFU revelation

A senior official with the NZRFU has today told me that the two All Blacks suspended after reportedly going on a drinking-binge prior to the World Cup quarter-final with Argentina were in fact suspended for taking the wrong drugs. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the senior official explained that Israel Dagg and Cory Jane had in fact spent the night in question knocking back sleeping pills. 'We have no problem,' said the official, 'with players using the drugs - don't get me wrong - but where we get upset is when they use the wrong drugs.' Conceding that they were dealing with rugby players, the official, a former All Black himself, then went on to say, 'Look, they're not rocket surgeons, and sometimes they make mistakes, but this is the kind of mistake you don't want to see repeated'.


At this stage I asked him if he might clarify the matter a little further - I must confess I was struggling to get the gist. 'Here's how it is,' he sighed, clearly a touch exasperated, 'we need our players to be at the top of their game, week in, week out, and there are some great drugs out there that will help them to be sharp as tacks. But honestly, sleeping pills? I mean half the time we're not sure these guys are awake as it is, the last thing we need is for them to be taking sleeping pills!'



Jane and Dagg, in the middle of a crucial World Cup game, take time out to hallucinate after enjoying some especially good Flash.

'Oh I see,' I said, finally getting what he was saying, 'so basically, you didn't suspend them because they took drugs, you suspended them because they took the wrong drugs!' 'Exactly!' he exclaimed. 'And,' he went on, now looking quite excited, 'we're not just leaving at that, we're being proactive about this. All our players will now be sent on a complete pharmaceutical course and will learn all the ins and out of uppers and downers, amphetamines, barbiturates, crack, adavans, agua de chango, aunt nora, aunti emma, aunt hazel, baby slits, Baby T and bump - you name it, they'll know what it is and when to use it!' 'By golly,' I said, 'no one can say the NZRFU isn't innovative!'

At that, the senior offical excused himself, saying he was off to have a good toke on some Donna Juanita.