WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) All Blacks lock Patrick Tuipulotu has been cleared of doping after tests on a B sample found no banned or specified substances.
Tuipulotu has been under provisional suspension since November when an A sample from a urine test showed the presence of an undiclosed prohibited substance. He was sent home from the All Blacks' tour of Europe before the last test against France and team officials attributed his departure to ''personal issues.''
The 24-year-old forward has not trained since November with the Blues, his Auckland-based Super Rugby team, but is free to return immediately.
Tuipulotu said in a statement he is ''pleased the matter is now closed with my reputation and integrity intact.''
''This has been a challenging and difficult time for me, my partner, family and teammates and I am grateful for their support,'' he said. ''I look forward to getting back into training and an exciting year of rugby.''
New Zealand Rugby issued a statement Thursday saying it had received notification that the results of testing on Tuipulotu's doping control B sample from the U.S.-based WADA-accredited Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory in Salt Lake City confirmed no presence of a specified substance listed on the WADA's 2016 prohibited list.
The earlier handling of the matter by New Zealand Rugby raised questions about an apparent lack of transparency while officials cited confidentiality obligations.
New Zealand Rugby Players' Association chief executive Rob Nicol said it was not yet clear why Tuipulotu's A-sample had tested positive.
''Working with Patrick through the process, we always felt confident that he would be cleared,'' Nicol said. ''To be honest there is an element of frustration given the initial result and publicity, but at least people now know Patrick did nothing wrong.''
Nicol said the result reinforced the importance of regulations relating to confidentiality and players rights.
''Patrick was unfairly labeled as a result of the premature publicity of this matter,'' he said.
The fact that Tuiplulotu's A sample had tested positive was first reported Sunday by Fairfax Media. New Zealand Rugby initially refused to confirm the report but did so later, asking that any judgement of the player's culpability be withheld until the full investigation was completed.
New Zealand Rugby said Tuipulotu had been ''fully exonerated'' by the test results.
''This is an important and welcome conclusion for both Patrick and for rugby,'' NZR chief executive Steve Tew said. ''We are pleased that a robust process has been undertaken and that he has been fully cleared. There is no room for doping in rugby and we take our responsibility to keep the game clean very seriously.''
