Sheahan forced to play waiting game for tribunal hearing

IRISH international Frankie Sheahan may have to wait for at least a week before facing an ERC Independent Judicial Tribunal after traces of prohibited substance Salbutamol was found in a urine sample.

Sheahan, an asthma sufferer who uses Ventolin, which contains Salbutamol, flew home from Ireland’s pre-World Cup warm-up series when the test results were revealed, and is unlikely to rejoin his colleagues on the tour of Australia, Tonga and Samoa.

The hooker was back in Cork on Sunday and frantically awaits meetings with European Rugby Cup officials and again insisted his only crime was a failure to inform the ERC of his use of Ventolin when asked to fill in a medical form last September.

Irish team manager Brian O’Brien declared that Sheahan would be welcome to rejoin the party if the matter was dealt with quickly.

But even if Sheahan withdraws his right to have a second sample analysed, he would have to wait for at least a week to have his case heard by an independent judicial tribunal.

The ERC has to organise for three people, legal, medical and former playing personnel, to come from outside Ireland to deal with the case.

ERC PRO Diarmuid Murphy admitted: “We don’t know how long this will take. It depends on a lot of circumstances but the fact yesterday was a Bank Holiday meant at least one day was lost in dealing with it.”

Fellow Irish international Rob Henderson had a sympathetic view of Sheahan’s misfortune, saying yesterday: “Whatever happened, I am convinced it was an administrative error. I know Frankie and other players have been filling in forms like this for years and it’s pretty easy to make mistakes, particularly when there are so many of them.

“It’s very harsh for a guy who was down for a while, pulled himself back up and got into great shape to challenge back for his place on the Irish team. He will have all of our sympathy in the current circumstances and I’m sure he will be cleared.”

Sheahan, since his arrival in Ireland late Sunday night, has kept a low profile and said yesterday: “I want to get this whole thing wrapped up as soon as possible. My medical records are there for examination.”

One of the criticisms among the rugby public yesterday was that there should only be one governing body to administer the laws. That, say the fans, should be the International Rugby Board through the various rugby unions of the world, including the IRFU, to whom Sheahan, among others, had submitted their medical records.

There was also criticism of the ERC on the basis Sheahan was tested five weeks before the results were made known. Had they been released earlier, he might now be happily linked with his Irish colleagues in Perth.