Nine months after he retired through injury, Whitehaven’s former skipper Marc Shackley has been banned from all sport for four years.
It follows a positive reading for a banned substance in a urine sample which was taken by the UK Anti-Doping test taken in September 2021.
That test showed trace of clenbuterol, an anabolic agent, but Shackley, now 33, had announced his retirement that same month because of a persistent knee injury which had curtailed his season.
He said he had taken a fat burner containing the agent to slim for surgery on the joint but could not prove the violations were unintentional so the ban was imposed.
Shackley, who also played for Workington Town during a 10-year career, stressed he had already retired before the test and the subsequent anti-doping rule violation was picked up in an out-of-competition test.
Shackley could not prove he did not know of the presence of clenbuterol, which was his secondary position and an independent panel ruled UKAD had jurisdiction on the violation.
The ban will expire at midnight on October 8 2025 after being backdated to October 8, 2021.
The Rugby Football League’s director of operations and legal Robert Hicks added: “This is a case which reinforces the responsibility of players to take the steps to reduce the risk of failing a doping violation by checking their supplements.”
Shackley, who started his career at Whitehaven before a spell with Workington Town, returned to the Recreation Ground in 2017 and proved a key player in their subsequent promotion.
He played his last match at home to York City Knights on August 22 last year after being in and out of Gary Charlton’s squad through the knee injury.
It was decided after the York fixture that Shackley should take some time away and look to get an operation but conversations with the club’s medical staff and specialists resulted in the player taking the difficult decision to retire immediately.
He had been club captain since his return to the club and led the club to the League 1 play-off final which saw them defeated by Barrow Raiders.
He lifted the Betfred League 1 trophy as captain following Haven’s 72-0 victory over Coventry Bears in 2019 and continued to lead from the front when on the field over the next two seasons in the Championship.
At the time Shackley said: “I tried to battle on but after the York game it became apparent that the Knee was a major issue.
“After speaking to the club doctor and specialists while I could have the surgery and rehab means I may able to continue playing there is no guarantee I could get back and for myself I have to think about my family.
“I have had numerous surgeries on my knees previously which have allowed me to continue playing but the time has come although earlier expected to step away from Rugby League.”
In his professional career, with two spells at Whitehaven either side of one at Workington, he played 236 games and scored 26 tries.
Whitehaven Rugby League Club released a statement this afternoon about Shackley’s ban.
The statement said: “Marc was tested in a out of competition test after he had informed the club he had retired from the game.
“All the evidence from the club, player, doctors and physios are in his favour but the issue arose as you can be tested by UKAD up to 12 months after your contract finishes or you retirement from the game.
“The club as well as Marc did not know about this rule as this has never been explained in any pre-season meetings with the RFL.
“Over the years in competition, Marc has taken at least 1 test a year and passed them all. We see the RFL have now made a rule that retiring players have to inform them of retirement and this was never in place for Marc and seems to have been brought out after this case. We would just like to thank Marc for everything he has done for this club over the years.”
