Sth Africa has doping issue, says former Bok
Former Springboks lock Marco Wentzel admits it’s hard to deny there is a doping culture in South African rugby.
The issue hit the headlines in the immediate aftermath to the Springboks’ stunning Rugby World Cup win in Tokyo when former Irish international Neil Francis said that victory might need an asterisk next to it because of doping abuse in the sport there.
Wentzel, who played for the Boks in 2002 and has vast experience in Super Rugby and the English Premiership, told Sport24 it was hard to mount an argument against these sort of accusations, with doping hitting leading players and the highly competitive South African schoolboys scene.
‘‘The unfortunate fact is that if we look at the last few years in terms of the amount of rugby players caught doping, critics have a point,’’
Wentzel, 40, said.
‘‘In recent times we have had the cases of Gerbrandt Grobler, Chiliboy Ralepelle and Aphiwe Dyantyi and way back we had the likes of Johan Ackermann. It’s an issue and I don’t think those who raise the issue are factually incorrect.’’
Grobler played with Western Province and the Stormers from 2012 to 2014, before missing the 2015 and 2016 seasons due to a positive drugs test.
Ralepelle tested positive for anabolic steroid drostanolone in 2014 and was banned for two years. Dyantyi tested positive to banned substances in July. He was World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year in 2018.
Wentzel was particularly alarmed at the alleged doping culture in South African schools rugby.
Drug testing at last year’s annual Craven Week tournament, South African’s premier secondary school festival for 16 to 18 year olds, recorded six positive findings for steroids. Parents were found to be injecting steroids into their children.
‘‘From what one hears the steroid use at schoolboy level is quite rife but is it because we are so competitive and there are so many players?,’’
SA Rugby president Mark Alexander joined the debate yesterday, warning pundits commenting on the use of steroids to be careful with their words regarding the world champion Springboks.
‘‘You know, those who said that stuff about our so-called drug culture can be charged with defamation,’’ Alexander said in an interview with Rapport.