UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) said a sample provided by Eales following a match between his club Preston Lodge and Dumfries Saints in the Scottish National League Division Two in February 2019 contained the banned steroid stanozolol.

A total of 27 rugby union players in Britain, including Eales, are serving a doping suspension.

Eales had claimed he had ingested the prohibited substance in a contaminated supplement, but the National Anti-Doping Panel (NADP) said he had not provided any evidence of this.

"Despite being given numerous chances... Mr Eales failed to truly engage with this process and failed to provide any submissions and/or evidence to substantiate those claims relating to a lack of intention and the consumption of a contaminated product," the panel said in its judgement.

His legal team argued he was not fit to participate in the proceedings because of a medical condition.

Eales had been banned for two years in June 2015 after he tested positive for boldenone, trenbolone and oxymetholone.

"The decision to ban Mr Eales from sport for eight years shows the serious consequences of repeated attempts to cheat," said UKAD director of operations Pat Myhill. 

"The World Anti-Doping Code provides longer bans for second offences and this is a clear message that repeated cheating will not be tolerated."