Former Bath players Michael Lipman, Alex Crockett and Andrew Higgins have been banned for nine months by the England Rugby Football Union (RFU) after being found guilty on two charges of missing drugs tests.

Charges relating to taking drugs were dropped at the beginning of the disciplinary hearing last week.

"Alex Crockett, Andrew Higgins and Michael Lipman have today been found guilty of two charges of conduct prejudicial to the interests of the game of rugby union in failing to submit to drugs tests on two separate occasions when requested by Bath Rugby," the RFU said in a statement.

"The RFU Disciplinary Panel today takes no pleasure in imposing its sanction as the players involved are decent young men.

"If the three players had taken the test there is no reason to suppose the results would not have been negative and no further action would have been taken.

"The starting point is a 15-month suspension and this has been reduced because of good character and concerns about the advice they received," the statement added.

The trio, who quit Bath in June shortly before they were due to attend an internal club hearing over the alleged missed tests, will be eligible to play rugby again on Feb. 28, 2010.

England international Lipman, together with former joint Bath captain Crockett and Higgins, said at the time they had quit Bath because their positions at the club had become untenable in the light of "scurrilous and unsubstantiated allegations".

The three players have 14 days to appeal the decision.

Last month their former Bath colleague Justin Harrison was suspended for eight months after admitting taking cocaine. Bath and England prop Matt Stevens was given a two-year ban after testing positive for cocaine earlier this year.

-Reuters