Rugby: Australian duo test positive for drugs

Two Australian rugby league players have tested positive for drugs following routine doping tests conducted by National Rugby League administrators.

Wests Tigers players Craig Field and Kevin McGuinness have stepped down from the top flight Australian rugby league competition in the wake of the allegations .

Under NFL rules both players are now facing a two-year suspension.

However, If the players can successfully prove the drugs they're accused of using were not performance enhancing, they face a minimum 12-week ban.

The NRL confirmed that Field and McGuinness had tested positive for stimulants, but did not specify which drugs were involved.

Both players attended a press conference called by the western Sydney club, but did not speak directly to the media.

"This is an incredibly difficult moment for me," Field wrote in a prepared statement.

"I will be defending my position but it is not fair that I run the risk of disrupting my team in the process.

"I did not want to see them suffer any innuendo and I do not want to cause them any disruption in the weeks ahead."

Wests Tigers chief executive Steve Noyce said: "Kevin and Craig will defend these issues through the proper process, but in the meantime they believe that this will be a distraction which could affect both their performance and that of the team."

The Australian Sports Drug Agency is continuing investigations into the positive tests.