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BBC Radio 5 Live

5 live Investigates

5 Live Investigates

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Adrian Goldberg presents cutting edge investigative journalism

Adrian Goldberg presents cutting edge investigative journalism, as well as taking on listeners' campaigns and consumer issues

5 Live Investigates: Doping in rugby and funeral costs

04/10/2015

Doping in rugby and funeral costs

BBC Radio 5 Live - 5 Live Investigates, Doping in rugby and funeral costs

How serious is doping in grassroots rugby? Plus the rising cost of funerals.

With 28 rugby players currently banned for doping, an investigation into how serious the problem is at grassroots level. Plus the rising funeral costs leaving some people in debt.

More than half of the athletes currently banned by anti-doping authorities in the UK are rugby players. There are 15 from rugby union and 13 from rugby league - the majority from the lower leagues of the game's two codes. 5Live investigates how serious doping is in the sport and speaks exclusively to one player currently serving a four year ban for taking steroids. He says the problem is widespread, but claims it is often more about body image than improving performance. We look at the sport's drug testing regime and ask whether it is comprehensive enough to catch the cheats.

The programme has also been given access to a new report which reveals the rising cost of funerals and how some people are suffering real hardship as a result. The average funeral now costs £3,700 - a rise of nearly four per cent on the previous year. While overall funeral debt has gone down, the report reveals one in ten people struggle to pay and owe on average more than £1,300. 5Live also looks at some of the hidden costs, and why if you want to be buried outside your local authority area it could cost you a small fortune.

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