World Rugby has addressed the speculation regarding Jarryd Hayne’s availability to be part of the Vodafone Fiji 7s team.
According to World Rugby, Hayne would be eligible to play in the London 7s 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 programme, which since January 2016 has included a comprehensive programme of targeted in and out of competition blood and urine testing on players likely to compete in Rio.
The pre‑games programme also includes regular additional screening for substances such as ESAs and human growth hormones.
The World Anti-Doping Agency compliant World Rugby Regulation 21 mirrors the requirements of the World Anti‑Doping Code and the WADA International Standard for Testing and Investigations.
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.
World Rugby also says that this position is entirely consistent with their approach to other cross‑over athletes, including other ex‑NFL athletes coming into rugby.
Fiji is pooled with Wales, Australia and England in the London 7s.
The national side will face England at 11.04pm Saturday in their first pool match of the London 7s.
Fiji will then play Wales at 1.48am Sunday while the last pool match against Australia will be at 4.54am Sunday.
The Cup Quarter-finals will start at 9:58pm Sunday while the Cup semifinals will kick off at 1:48am Monday.
The Cup final will kick off at 4:57am Monday.
Source: World Rugby
