Doping & Drugs ·
Green Rockets Cancel Ferguson’s Contract Before His First Game
The Japanese rugby union club terminated the winger’s deal on January 2, 2022, after his Tokyo arrest on suspicion of possessing illegal drugs.
Blake Ferguson’s move to Japanese rugby union ended before he played a game for NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu. The club cancelled his contract on January 2, 2022, three days after his arrest in Tokyo on suspicion of possessing illegal drugs.
The 31-year-old winger had left Parramatta at the end of the 2021 National Rugby League season to try a different code. He had won a premiership with the Sydney Roosters in 2018 and was joining a club where former Wallabies coach Michael Cheika was coaching director. Green Rockets were preparing for their first season in Japan’s newly renamed League One.
According to local media cited by AAP, police were called to a restaurant in Tokyo’s Roppongi district on December 30 after Ferguson was involved in an altercation with another patron. He was later searched at Azabu police station and allegedly found with illegal drugs, reportedly cocaine.
The club’s initial public response confirmed the arrest and promised cooperation. “Blake Ferguson, a contract player belonging to NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu, was arrested on December 30 on suspicion of possessing illegal drugs,” its statement said. “We deeply apologise for causing a great deal of concern and inconvenience to everyone involved.” The team said it was cooperating fully with the police investigation and trying to understand the situation.
The club then confirmed that Ferguson’s contract had been cancelled on January 2. Its opening match was scheduled for January 8 against the Yokohama Canon Eagles. Ferguson had arrived to begin a new playing chapter; the season would start without him.