Three players resigned from the Bath rugby union club Monday shortly before they were to attend a disciplinary hearing over alleged missed drugs tests.

Michael Lipman, Alex Crockett and Andrew Higgins failed on three occasions to take a drug test, Bath Rugby chief executive Bob Calleja said.

Bath had been conducting an internal investigation into incidents at an end-of-season party on May 10.

Lipman, an England international with 10 caps, and Crockett were co-captains at Bath this season.

The Rugby Football Union said it will decide in the next week whether to charge the players over conduct that is "prejudicial to the interests of the game."

Bath has now lost five senior players in three months. England prop Matt Stevens resigned after being banned for two years in February following a positive test for cocaine.

Australian lock Justin Harrison requested an early release from his Bath contract and retired from rugby after being linked to a fracas involving rival players in a London pub.

(Xinhua News Agency June 2, 2009)