Chris Vui, the Samoa international and Bristol Bears favourite, has been suspended from rugby union while he disputes the results of a failed anti-doping test, Telegraph Sport can reveal.
Vui is understood to have returned a positive sample following a test in August prior to the World Cup. However, he was not informed of the findings, which triggered an automatic suspension, until he had played two matches at the tournament, against Chile and Argentina.
The back-five forward, who has been among the most consistent performers in the Premiership over recent years, missed Samoa’s final two pool matches against Japan and England and was conspicuous by his absence over the remainder of Bristol’s 2023-24 campaign.
Bears issued an official list of leavers at the start of May before announcing a separate squad list for 2024-25 on Tuesday. Vui was not mentioned on either list. Telegraph Sport understands that Vui’s contract, which was due to run until at least 2026, has been ended while he hopes to prove that his positive test was caused by contamination.
“He’s spent fortunes in cash, he’s had his hair and nails tested and there is no evidence of long-term doping,” said a source close to the player. “It’s horrific. The guy’s gone through hell.”
As cases such as that of cyclist Lizzy Banks have shown, anti-doping rules generally require athletes to prove that their positive test has been caused by contamination in order to be cleared, with the banned substance somehow making its way unknowingly into their system.
The system of the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) is under scrutiny, however. UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) eventually accepted that on the balance of probabilities Banks’ positive was because of contamination, issuing a finding of ‘no fault or negligence’, and zero sanction. It marked the first time Ukad had done so when an athlete has not specifically identified the exact source of the contamination. Wada has appealed the finding, with the case due to go before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
A source added that Vui had “spent fortunes in cash” in his bid to clear his name, hiring lawyers and carrying out tests on supplements that he uses regularly. The source of the banned substance is yet to be found, though Vui hopes for a hearing to be held in August or September of this year.
Pat Lam, the Bristol Bears director of rugby, was asked about Vui at the end of last season but was not able to elaborate on the matter.
“I am not in a position to talk about Chris’ position at the moment,” Lam said. “It would certainly be good to have Chris back at some stage. He has been a huge player for us.
“He was probably my second signing target after getting the Bristol job, once I got Steven Luatua. Hopefully we will see Chris again at some point.”
Neither World Rugby nor Bristol Bears made any comment on the matter.
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