Former Bath co-captains Michael Lipman and Alex Crockett today lost their appeal against the nine-month bans received for missing drug tests. Neither player was present as a three-man Rugby Football Union panel met in London to consider the appeal, taking just under two hours to reach their decision.

The RFU hearing was the duo’s last hope of having their bans reduced within the disciplinary structure of the game.

The players’ suspension run from June 1st, 2009 — the date they resigned from Bath — until February 28th, 2010.