Load of shit really.
Unlike poes Jantjies, lostt Chilliboy and lying Dyantyi, i actually believe this oke.
Load of shit really.
Unlike poes Jantjies, lostt Chilliboy and lying Dyantyi, i actually believe this oke.
2,193 posts
Springbok prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye could be sidelined for a whopping four years after being charged with a doping offense involving a performance-enhancer called dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). This bombshell dropped just weeks after an initial scare where he was nabbed for a less serious, though still dicey, substance during a routine July drug test.
The twist here is that Ntlabakanye actually declared the use of DHEA on his medical forms, under the impression he was playing by the rules after getting a thumbs up from a couple of docs. Despite this, the 26-year-old finds himself in hot water because, well, ignorance isn’t exactly bliss in the anti-doping world.
"At no time did he seek to obtain an unfair advantage,"
SA Rugby was quick to jump to his defense, highlighting his transparency and insistence that he hadn’t been trying to game the system. It’s a sticky situation because while the big guy was upfront about what he was taking, he didn't secure a Therapeutic Use Exemption, which might have saved him from this mess.
The plot thickens with Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus previously lauding Ntlabakanye for his impressive physical transformation, shedding nearly 20kg. Turns out, a part of this metamorphosis was medically assisted, casting a shadow over his newfound physique.
Despite the drama, Ntlabakanye was technically still eligible to play and was even considered for the November tour, though he sat out the recent New Zealand tour pending the outcome of this debacle.
The burden now falls on Ntlabakanye to prove to the tribunals that he was just following doctor’s orders, not trying to pull a fast one. Even if he manages to swing the sympathy vote, he might still face a two-year ban in a best-case scenario. His rugby fate currently swings more on courtroom arguments than rugby pitches, as he tries to dodge the label of a deliberate doper and prove it’s all just a big misunderstanding.
As it stands, the prop’s career is in a precarious balance—not over rucks and mauls, but over prescriptions and protocols.