Sleeping pills were involved when All Blacks Cory Jane and Israel Dagg were out drinking ahead of New Zealand’s 2011 Rugby World Cup quarter-final against Argentina, New Zealand Rugby chief executive Steve Tew has confirmed.
Tew told media on Thursday that he believes Jane and Dagg were involved in a competition using sleeping pills to see who could stay awake the longest.
The pair were seen drinking in a Takapuna bar late on the Thursday before the All Blacks’ Sunday quarter-final against Argentina.
Tew said they were dealt with according to team protocols at the time.
“That issue was dealt with by team management and the leadership group in the All Blacks, and I remain comfortable it was dealt with appropriately,” he said.
“Sleeping pills came up at the time, but we didn’t have a major red flag about it particularly.
“If it happened now, with the apparent issue we have around sleeping pills and energy drinks, then we’d probably take a different course of action. But at the time it was not a hot topic.”
Prescription sleeping pills are in the spotlight because of growing concern in rugby league about their use in combination with energy drinks.
The “recovery practices” are under scrutiny in an NZ Rugby League review into the Kiwis’ unsuccessful defence of the Rugby League World Cup late last year.
Tew said he was unclear if energy drinks were involved in the 2011 episode “but I was not the person at the bar at the time and so I can’t tell you anything categorically”.
The NZRU had no immediate plans to ban sleeping pills, he added.
“We play a game that involves a lot of international travel and some people need assistance to sleep in the plane and when they get to where they’re going,” he said.
“To take that out of our toolkit I think would be a very big call. I wouldn’t be suggesting that right now, but we’ll keep all our options open.”
NZR recently announced it was establishing an integrity unit, following in the footsteps of high-profile Australian codes.
The unit, which is expected to be in place within six months, will cover all integrity issues facing players including match-fixing, legal and illegal drugs, and alcohol.
