Rugby League-Castleford sack fullback Hardaker after failed drugs test

Feb 21 (Reuters) - Castleford Tigers have sacked fullback Zak Hardaker after he failed a drugs test in the weeks leading up to the Super League Grand Final last year, the club announced on Wednesday.

Hardaker was provisionally suspended from all competition having failed the test after a Super 8s game between Castleford and Leeds Rhinos on Sept. 8. He missed the chance to represent England in the rugby league World Cup as a result.

"Castleford Tigers can confirm that Zak Hardaker has been dismissed from his contract with the club," Castleford said in a statement on their website (www.castlefordtigers.com).

The statement added that Hardaker awaits the outcome of his case from the UK Anti-Doping organisation and that they would not comment on the matter until the conclusion of the case.

The RFL did not name the banned substance when they ruled the 26-year-old out of the World Cup squad. Media reports said it was cocaine and Hardaker faces a possible two-year ban. (Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)