UKAD testing rises by 359 in first six months of packed competition year
UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) carried out 359 more tests between January and June 2026 than over the same period the previous year, according to its latest testing figures, as the organisation responded to one of the busiest periods for major sporting competitions.
In the most recent testing period, April to June (Q1 2026-27), UKAD conducted 2,044 tests, including 1,395 out-of-competition tests. One in three of these tests targeted sports which featured at the Commonwealth Games, with testing intensifying around qualification and squad announcements for the home nations.
The top six most tested sports were:
- Football (FA, FAW, IFA, SFA): 453 tests
- Rugby Union (RFU, SRU, WRU): 210 tests
- Athletics: 168 tests
- Boxing: 163 tests
- Rugby League: 160 tests
- Cricket: 155 tests
The increase in the testing comes during one of the busiest periods for UKAD with multiple major sporting competitions. The Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, the Women’s T20 World Cup, Men’s Football World Cup and the European Athletics Championships (Birmingham) have already taken place this year, with the Men’s Rugby League World Cup in Australia and New Zealand still to come this autumn.
Hamish Coffey, UKAD’s Director of Operations, said:
“These figures reflect the skill and dedication of our Doping Control Personnel during one of our busiest years for major competitions. Much of the work to keep sport clean happens long before an event takes place when the risk of doping is often highest.
“Off the back of a great summer of sport, UKAD is now focused on 2027 and the introduction of the updated World Anti-Doping Code and International Standards, which will strengthen testing protocols even further.”
UKAD recorded nine Adverse Analytical Findings, four Whereabouts Failures and three Anti-Doping Rule Violations in Q1.
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