The institutionalization of doping in South African rugby

[Stade Rochelais]

I have a question for some of you: how can you admire the South African national team when the majority of its players are using steroids?

Just yesterday, a key player on the South African U20 team tested positive at the World Cup!

Why don't they test Ox Nché, Eben Etzebeth, and Trevor Nyakan ? With these three names, we could bring down the admiration, arrogance, and ego of South Africans to a whole new level.

We're not asking the IRB to organize tests against Georgia, but against the major rugby nations!

Haven't you noticed that the Southern Hemisphere has a stranglehold on the Rugby World Cup trophy? For 15 years, the South African Rugby Union has refused any doping tests for its national team. What are they hiding? They are extremely malicious.

If you were to unexpectedly attempt a doping test for the South African team, a formidable obstacle would stand in the way of the doctors: the South African Rugby Union.

 

[Welsh Exile]

Why do you assume that they haven’t been tested?

 

[Stade Rochelais]

Why do you assume that they haven’t been tested?

Because the international rugby authorities are simply complicit, they've decided to turn a blind eye, knowing full well that the South Africans are very influential within the IRB!
What they did against France in the 2023 World Cup is too much! They've gone too far.
Furthermore, I've assessed the level of Super Rugby from 2018 to 2026, and in no way can we compare it to the Champions Cup. For me, it's on par with the European Challenge Cup. How is it that the New Zealand and South African national teams have won the last five titles? What do they have that the European teams, renowned for their technical and tactical demands and their organization, don't? They've gone too far! Last week, France lost to the All Blacks; that was the last straw. Someone has to neutralize the malevolent hegemony of the Southern Hemisphere nations!

I repeat, I know rugby very well and the level of each competition, the level of Super Rugby since 2018 is at the level of the European Challenge Cup.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_World_Cup

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Ragebait used to be believable

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Ragebait used to be believable

Blatant match fixing imo. Pull the other one if you think a professional player would actually deal with a high ball like Woki and Fickou do for SA's first couple of tries.

 

[Stade Rochelais]

Yes, it was definitely a fixed match. Eben Etzebeth confused handball with rugby, he got the sport wrong.

 

[Welsh Exile]

Because the international rugby authorities are simply complicit, they've decided to turn a blind eye, knowing full well that the South Africans are very influential within the IRB!
What they did against France in the 2023 World Cup is too much! They've gone too far.
Furthermore, I've assessed the level of Super Rugby from 2018 to 2026, and in no way can we compare it to the Champions Cup. For me, it's on par with the European Challenge Cup. How is it that the New Zealand and South African national teams have won the last five titles? What do they have that the European teams, renowned for their technical and tactical demands and their organization, don't? They've gone too far! Last week, France lost to the All Blacks; that was the last straw. Someone has to neutralize the malevolent hegemony of the Southern Hemisphere nations!

I repeat, I know rugby very well and the level of each competition, the level of Super Rugby since 2018 is at the level of the European Challenge Cup.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_World_Cup

All a bit conspiracy brained for me. I mean, you could be right but you have to show some evidence of the conspiracy and corruption you speak of. As it stands it’s just you saying I think they do this

 

[Ddanno]

Is there one single credible source for this or are you just trying to block out the shame in your mind after having a nasty self-pleasuring sesh

 

[Saintjay]

They could do something about France's cocaine issues whilst you're at it.

You won't win many world cups with it but absolutely devastating in a dance off.

Interesting you have no ssue with Southern Hemisphere dominance over France, when you keep losing finals to the All Blacks

You've played SA just twice at a RWC from what i can tell.

 

[Stade Rochelais]

All a bit conspiracy brained for me. I mean, you could be right but you have to show some evidence of the conspiracy and corruption you speak of. As it stands it’s just you saying I think they do this

In that case, why have they always refused doping controls? They have a lot to hide.

I expect concrete counter-answers, not arguments about conspiracy theories.

 

[big ginger 8]

The thing is there are a lot of questions about doping culture in South African rugby (even more so than a lot of other countries) but this conspiracy bullshit really undercuts the validity of that point.

 

[Brown Bottle]

...

I expect concrete counter-answers, not arguments about conspiracy theories.

Give some concrete evidence and someone might take you seriously.

 

[Stade Rochelais]

Give some concrete evidence and someone might take you seriously.

It's difficult to refute.

List of South African international players who tested positive for anabolic steroids.

Kai Pratt - Asenathi Ntlabakanye - Elton Jantjies - S'Busiso Nkosi - Bjorn Basson - Chiliboy Ralepelle ! It's more than obvious that South African internationals dope to win! You want more proof? I have all the time in the world. Elton Jantjies won the World Cup in 2019 with South Africa while doped.

 

[Brown Bottle]

Where's your proof that Jantjies was doping during the 2019 world cup?

 

[BrokenWing]

You won't win many world cups with it but absolutely devastating in a dance off.

I once lost an egg and spoon race to someone high on sherbet dip-dabs.

The pain never fades.

 

[ChicagoKid]

It's difficult to refute.

List of South African international players who tested positive for anabolic steroids.

Kai Pratt - Asenathi Ntlabakanye - Elton Jantjies - S'Busiso Nkosi - Bjorn Basson - Chiliboy Ralepelle ! It's more than obvious that South African internationals dope to win! You want more proof? I have all the time in the world. Elton Jantjies won the World Cup in 2019 with South Africa while doped.

Case Closed! Ban South Africa from the next world cup so the French can at least make the semis.

 

[unrated]

In that case, why have they always refused doping controls? They have a lot to hide.

I expect concrete counter-answers, not arguments about conspiracy theories.

Ah yes the nation which refuses doping controls, so much so that the players just spontaneously combust into positive test findings all by themselves. Someone collect their urine at McDonald’s in secret?

 

[Ddanno]

Can we just erase this nonsense of a thread entirely

 

[Saintjay]

I think it's called getting the world cup excuses in early.

Or maybe take your compelling evidence to the FRU. Because it appears all the national Rugby Unions are unaware and surely would act on this evidence if known.

 

[Demfad]

Blatant match fixing imo. Pull the other one if you think a professional player would actually deal with a high ball like Woki and Fickou do for SA's first couple of tries.

In fairness Arendse pushing the Frenchmen into eachother for his try was a bad miss by the TMO.
Kudos for the SA team to train for and use x-field contestables (before they were popular) which they 100% converted.
But Arendse pushes one man into the other two creating the ball spill and the try.

 

[ChicagoKid]

In fairness Arendse pushing the Frenchmen into eachother for his try was a bad miss by the TMO.
Kudos for the SA team to train fir and use x-field constables which they 100% converted.
But Arendse pushes one man into the other two creating the ball spill and the try.

#Crashout

 

[Demfad]

Case Closed! Ban South Africa from the next world cup so the French can at least make the semis.

France have been in 3 finals. Are you not familiar with the RWC. Its only in existence since 1987, catch up.

 

[Demfad]

I think it's called getting the world cup excuses in early.

Or maybe take your compelling evidence to the FRU. Because it appears all the national Rugby Unions are unaware and surely would act on this evidence if known.

Don't you think the high level of SA doping cases per capita is a cause for serious concern?
I think SA should have open doors to provide transparency and reassurance.
This doesnt seem.to be the case though.

 

[Saintjay]

Don't you think the high level of SA doping cases per capita is a cause for serious concern?
I think SA should have open doors to provide transparency and reassurance.
This doesnt seem.to be the case though.

I would like to think if individual unions had compelling evidence to prove the SA international team were doping. They would provide it to world rugby. I'd assume the NZRFU would be all over it

As far as I'm aware World Rugby are responsible for testing at international level. Someone far better than me will know what the testing process is for international games and world cups.

 

[ChicagoKid]

Don't you think the high level of SA doping cases per capita is a cause for serious concern?
I think SA should have open doors to provide transparency and reassurance.
This doesnt seem.to be the case though.

I’m more concerned that Scotlands best players were born and bred in South Africa.

 

[Demfad]

I’m more concerned that Scotlands best players were born and bred in South Africa.

You're more concerned about changing the subject clearly.

 

[Demfad]

I would like to think if individual unions had compelling evidence to prove the SA international team were doping. They would provide it to world rugby. I'd assume the NZRFU would be all over it

As far as I'm aware World Rugby are responsible for testing at international level. Someone far better than me will know what the testing process is for international games and world cups.

It is not up to individual Unions to compile evidence. As in Kenyan athletics, when you see cases piling up in one juristiction any interpretation must recognize these symtoms as indicating a bigger problem. It must be assumed the cases actually prosecuted must by the tippy tip of a very large iceberg.

 

[Saintjay]

It is not up to individual Unions to compile evidence. As in Kenyan athletics, when you see cases piling up in one juristiction any interpretation must recognize these symtoms as indicating a bigger problem. It must be assumed the cases actually prosecuted must by the tippy tip of a very large iceberg.

Who does the testing of International teams and at World Cups?

Unions will moan about flight times but not that SA are all on the gear?

It would also mean there's a whole host of international coaches from NZ, Ireland and England complicit in SA internationals doping. Yet none have spoken up.

 

[Demfad]

François Pienaar, who led South Africa to victory in the 1995 Rugby World Cup, admitted last month having taken performance-boosting stimulants before his country's re-admission to international sport in 1992.

'I started taking pills because everyone else did. Nobody batted an eyelid,' Pienaar said. 'They helped you through a hard 80 minutes if you were struggling with physical fitness.'

 

[Demfad]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-u...-south-african-rugby-drug-testing-in-decline/

Drugs tests on rugby players in South Africa have plunged more than sixfold in the last decade, Telegraph Sport can reveal.

The significant drop in testing has coincided with the Springboks becoming the most dominant force in Test rugby, winning back-to-back World Cups in 2019 and 2023.

South Africa is the nation with the highest number of convicted dopers in rugby with 89 violations in that time, which is around 20 per cent of the entire total worldwide.

Those caught up in drug scandals include 2019 World Cup winners S‘busiso Nkosi and Elton Jantjies, who were banned in 2024 for three and four years, respectively.

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According to figures published by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), the number of tests carried out within rugby by the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (Saids) fell from 785 in 2015 to just 127 in 2024

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On the eve of the 2023 tournament, it emerged that Jantjies had failed a drugs test days after being recalled to South Africa’s squad for that year’s Rugby Championship. He contested the failed test, just as Dyantyi did, and was also ultimately banned for four years.