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Three Chilean players have tested positive for banned substances and are now facing sanctions, according to the country’s National Doping Control Commission (CNCD). In question are leading sevens exponents Joaquín Huici and Vicente Tredinick, and national u20 lock Jaime Paredes. The most recent report was originally obtained by Chilean rugby agency BK Sports.
Huici is the captain of the Cóndores Sevens side. According to the release, the 27-year-old was found to have nandrolone, an anabolic steroid, in his system during testing conducted by ODESUR on October 9.
Tredinick is 22 years old and also has two full test caps for Chile. On October 13 he tested positive for clomiphene, an estrogen receptor modulator often used in post-cycle therapy.
Paredes is just 20 years old and has also represented the Chile XV in the Americas Pacific Challenge. He tested positive for the anabolic steroid oxandrolone on October 14.
All three cases will now be referred to World Rugby. The findings are troubling given that four other rugby players in Chile had failed drug tests during 2022, including two Selknam players. Argentine prop Tomás Bertot was handed a three-year suspension while second row Agustín Fernández was awaiting a final decision as of December 7 after testing positive for tamoxifen.
The other two are prominent local players Javier Cifuentes, a former Chile u20 representative, and Marco Valenzuela, formerly a member of the national high performance program in Concepción. Cifuentes tested positive for norandrosterone, a metabolite of nandrolone, and has been provisionally suspended. Valenzuela was flagged for tamoxifen is in the same waiting situation as Fernández.
