For Buddhists, the sacred lotus flower has long been a symbol of purity of the body and mind. For French rugby, however, it is becoming something of a nightmare. Extracts from this bloom along with other plants like tinospora crispa, a climbing shrub in mostly Asian forests, produce a stimulant that has thrown the game into a developing doping controversy.
The molecule known as higenamine has been specifically banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) since January 1 of this year.
It has been found in samples taken in recent months by drug testers from Racing stars Yannick Nyanga, the m...