By Declan Colley
THE Irish Rugby Union Players Association has issued its “full and unconditional support” for Frankie Sheahan in his bid to overturn a two-year suspension imposed by ERC for a doping offence. The charge was based on the presence of a prohibited substance (Salbutamol) in a sample collected from the player after the Heineken Cup

semi-final between Toulouse and Munster on 26 April, 2003. Sheahan has until next Friday to lodge his appeal and yesterday received the backing of the players’ body.

“We are very concerned with the methodology employed by the tribunal and find the situation to be totally unsatisfactory,” an IRUPA spokesperson said.

Chief executive of IRUPA Niall Woods stated: “The decision of the independent judicial tribunal was a major surprise in the light of the legal and medical evidence presented at the tribunal.

“I would like to stress that this is not just a matter of a player being banned from playing rugby. This is a player’s whole livelihood, his sole source of income, his whole life. Frankie chose to play professional rugby he did not choose to be an asthmatic.”

The players’ group is optimistic that Sheahan will be successful in his appeal against the two-year ban and can resume his rugby career soon. IRUPA will be seeking a meeting with the IRFU, the employer of Sheahan and all the members of IRUPA, to express its extreme unease with the circumstances surrounding this matter.

Meanwhile, Wasps have extended director of rugby Warren Gatland’s contract until 2006.

The former Irish boss, who took over from Nigel Melville in November 2001, has signed a new three-year deal after winning the Zurich Premiership and Parker Pen Challenge Cup last season.

“I’m really happy that Wasps have extended my contract and I would like to thank the club and players for
having faith in me,” said Gatland.

“We are a small, family-orientated club and being a family man, this fits into my life perfectly. Gatland insisted that the club’s double-winning achievement could spur the side on to more success in the Heineken Cup.

“We’ve won the English title and a European competition and so the next goal is the Heineken Cup,” said Gatland.

“I’m also looking forward to this season as it will provide the club and myself with new challenges, especially if we lose key players to the World Cup.

“All I can say is London Wasps are certainly a club and team to be proud of.”

Meanwhile, the 30 Wallabies who launch the World Cup against Argentina on October 10 will receive almost Aus$200,000 each (€117,000) from a $6 million (€3.5m) pay-out if they succeed in their defence of the William Webb Ellis Trophy on November 22.

After the Australian Rugby Union and the Rugby Union Players’ Association wrestled their way into and out of the Supreme Court in dispute of the financial terms the Wallabies were to receive for the tournament, a truce was brokered between the two parties.

As a result of the negotiations, each Wallaby will receive a bonus of $100,000 if the team wins the World Cup, a figure which will fall to $20,000 if they lose the final. If they are eliminated at the semi-final stage, the players will forfeit their bonus money.