The promising career of Springbok and Lions wing, Aphiwe Dyantyi, hangs in the balance. The 2018 World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year has formally been charged with a doping offence after testing positive for multiple anabolic steroids and metabolites.
The South African Institute for Drug Free Sport confirmed to SABC News that the player’s B sample also returned an adverse analytical finding in a doping test on the 2nd of July this year. Institute for Drug Free Sport CEO, Khalid Galant, says Dyantyi faces a lengthy ban if found guilty.
“The World Anti-Doping code framework for sanctions on anabolic steroids is still the same. So the framework stipulates four years sanction if the athlete is found guilty. So the process going forward now in terms of the charge, the athlete can either accept the charge with a guilty plea or he can contest the charge with a not guilty plea and he will then produce defence in front of an independent tribunal panel,” says Galant.
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Meanwhile the Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) says it has informed Springbok-lock Eben Etzebeth that it’s investigating him for allegedly racially abusing a man at a pub in Langebaan on the Cape West Coast. The alleged incident happened last week.
Etzebeth is part of the Springbok squad selected to play in the World Cup in Japan. Western Cape Commissioner Chris Nissen says they will make an assessment based on the complainant’s version of events.
“On the assessment of the complaint, obviously the commission will have to make a decision for us. It says we have to investigate but at this point it’s an alleged against somebody; that complaint will follow up and obviously we need to give all parties the opportunity because we have to be fair to everybody,” says Nissen.
