New Zealand's rugby and anti-drug chiefs have defended their doping policies following comments made by France coach Bernard Laporte.

Laporte claimed New Zealand and England were countries whose anti-drugs policy lacked the rigour of his own nation.

However, New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive officer designate Steve Tew said: "We find it disappointing.

"It doesn't reflect a very good understanding of the commitment that New Zealand in general, and rugby in particular, has made to a drug-free environment in this country."

Graham Steel, executive director of government monitoring agency Drug Free Sport New Zealand, was equally critical of Laporte's claims.

"I have no idea what prompted those thoughts because we have programmes which are as robust as any in the world, or better in our view," he told The Christchurch Press.

"As far as the All Blacks are concerned, the squad has been in our frame. And of that squad all of them have been tested last year, most of them more than once, and we'll continue to be testing them until they go (to the World Cup)."

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