Sport Ireland Launches Anonymous WhatsApp Anti-Doping Reporting Service
Sport Ireland has launched a new anonymous WhatsApp reporting service to allow athletes, sport participants and members of the public to share concerns about doping in sport.
The RealResponse platform was unveiled alongside Sport Ireland’s Anti-Doping Annual Report 2025 and is designed to provide a safe and confidential channel for raising concerns around clean sport.
The service allows users to submit reports by WhatsApp, text or email from their own device, with access available through a QR code and no requirement to download an app. The platform anonymises phone numbers and email addresses, while still allowing Sport Ireland administrators to ask follow-up questions securely.
“Clean sport is the foundation of fair competition,” said Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport Patrick O’Donovan. “Sport Ireland’s Anti-Doping programme protects the integrity of Irish sport through a world-class testing, education, and enforcement system.”
In 2025, Sport Ireland Anti-Doping delivered 60 education sessions, reaching 1,697 athletes and athlete support personnel. A further 27 sessions were delivered by recognised National Governing Bodies under Sport Ireland guidance, reaching 2,276 athletes.
Sport Ireland also introduced a new database to manage its testing programme and purchased a mobile testing unit to support secure sample collection at events and training sites where suitable facilities are not available.
“By introducing RealResponse’s real-time WhatsApp channel, we are empowering athletes and sports leaders alike to speak up, to act, and to uphold a culture of safe and ethical sport,” said Dr Úna May, CEO of Sport Ireland.
Siobhán Leonard, Sport Ireland Director of Anti-Doping, said the programme’s athlete-first approach was central to protecting both performance integrity and athlete wellbeing.
The Sport Ireland Anti-Doping Programme operates through testing, research and education, and works in compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code as Ireland’s National Anti-Doping Organisation.
“We’re honoured to partner with Sport Ireland in this important step,” said David Chadwick, Founder and CEO of RealResponse. “By offering an anonymous, real-time channel through WhatsApp, Sport Ireland is making it easier than ever for athletes and officials to share vital information.”
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Image Credit: Sport Ireland
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