Darts star banned after failing doping test with investigation launched

Darts star Rusty-Jake Rodriguez has been slapped with a provisional suspension after failing a doping test. The 24-year-old was randomly tested during Players Championship 24 in August, and the results have come back as being abnormal.

The Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) immediately acted to provisionally ban Rodriguez from playing or attending any upcoming events. As per the DRA disciplinary regulations, an interim measure is standard procedure for situations like this.

Rodriguez will remain suspended until a full investigation and subsequent disciplinary proceedings have been completed. The Austrian could face further sanctions depending on the outcome. He has the right to appeal the suspension, reports the Daily Star.

According to DRA rules, Rodriguez can challenge the validity of the test and the decision to provisionally suspend him. No further information is expected to be released until the investigation concludes.

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Rodriguez has been on the PDC circuit for several years, first competing in the PDC World Youth Championship as a teenager before making his World Championship debut in 2022.

'RJR3' made his mark on debut at Ally Pally, taking Chris Dobey to a deciding fifth set in the second round where he was beaten 3-2. He then appeared in the 2024 World Championship, losing 3-0 to Cameron Menzies in the first round.

Rodriguez hails from a family of darts players, with his elder brother Rowby-John having made it to the second round at Ally Pally twice, only to lose 3-0 to Luke Humphries in 2022. His other sibling, Roxy-James, also had a stint on the PDC tour between 2014 and 2018 before returning to play in the WDF.

Currently, Rodriguez is the world No. 138 after reclaiming his Tour Card at the beginning of this year. He has struggled this season, claiming just £7,500 in ranking prize money after regaining his Tour Card at European Qualifying School in January.

Rodriguez has been knocked out in the first round in 18 of his 24 Players Championship appearances this season.

He is the second Tour Card holder to fail a drugs test within the last year after Dom Taylor served a one-month ban for testing positive for a banned substance during a Players Championship event in November 2024.

Rodriguez was selected for a random drugs test at Milton Keynes on August 25. He will now await the conclusion of the investigation to discover his fate.