Troy Hall cannot play for the USA Men's National Team for six months because he did not notify the US Anti-Doping Agency that he was making a comeback to international rugby early enough.

 

Hall was named in the game-day squad for Saturday's test match against New Zealand, but on Saturday morning he was scratched, and Tim Stanfill was named in his place. Stanfill did not get on the field. The reason for the late scratch was because of a little-known rule in place with international doping agencies about players coming out of retirement.

 

Hall had retired from international rugby when he moved to Portland, Ore. from New York City to pursue work as a youth coach and development officer. He reasoned that his international days were over, but he later started flying across the country to play for NYAC again, and was named in the USA Selects team for the 2014 ARC. All seemed fine, and Hall was drug-tested at the ARC and passed. He thought that was enough to get back in international rugby as far as drug-testing was concerned. However, the USADA has a rule that you must inform them of your intention to return to international competition six months before you actually do.

 

 

This is to guard against athletes retiring, using performance enhancing drugs, and then un-retiring in order to return to competition. The USADA wants to start testing athletes for six months before they compete. For Hall, the selection to the Eagles squad for November was a bit of a surprise. He just said yes, and it seems no one looked for problems.

 

Hall didn't know about the rule, USA Rugby officers didn't know about the rule, and either the USA coaching staff knew and thought Hall had informed the USADA, or didn't know about it. This brings up the question on whether USA Rugby should have a doping expert on staff, or at least additional training for team coaches and managers. Certainly the retirement rule is easy to find - it took Goff Rugby Report less than a minute to find the page linked above.

 

Hall is not suspended from rugby. He can play all he wants at a level below National Team. But he cannot play full international rugby - 15s or 7s - until May. The USA is now in a bind at the back three. With Blaine Scully and Chris Wyles back with their clubs, Brett Thompson injured, and Hall now unavailable to play fullback, and with Luke Hume already ruled out due to injury, they have to figure out what to do at fullback for the next three matches.