OPINION: If you don't like the sound of your teenage boy being tested for drugs while representing his First XV, then direct some of that disdain towards the country's leading rugby schools.
Secondary schools in this country must accept the lion's share of the blame for creating a climate where doping is not only possible, but likely.
They've created this climate by turning New Zealand's secondary school rugby competition into a professional environment.
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Promising young players are brought to these prestigious schools on rugby scholarships and expected to deliver for the school's First XV. These teams are being coached by former players - in some cases former All Blacks and Super Rugby stars - pulling in six-figure salaries.
With their livelihood at stake, some coaches are desperate for their team to win, perhaps at any cost. Some will inevitably want their players to take supplements, or worse, performance enhancers.
And you can be sure there are more than a few young athletes around the country feeling nervous about the possibility they will be caught when they represent their school at September's Top 4 finals in Palmerston North, following confirmation Drug Free Sport New Zealand will be testing school representatives for the first time.
The relentless pursuit of school pride at any price could well cost a young rising star a promising career.
Testing teenagers for drugs isn't something that sits comfortably with society. But it's not the testers who are preying on the vulnerable here - it's the schools and the coaches who will do anything to win.
The worst part is that very few of the schools have taken the responsible step of investing the time and money into using the help on offer from Drug Free Sport NZ to educate athletes properly about the risks they may be exposed to.
Andrew Gourdie is a Newshub sport reporter/presenter, and host of Radio LIVE's 'Sunday Sport'.
