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Long-awaited results of Dyantyi PED case could be on the horizon

By Josh Raisey
(Photo by Action Foto Sport/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The eight-year ban handed to former South Africa hooker Mahlatse ‘Chiliboy’ Ralepelle has raised questions about the future of Aphiwe Dyantyi. Ralepelle was handed the ban on Wednesday by the South Africa Institute for Drug Free Sport (SAIDS) after he tested positive for then banned anabolic agent Zeranol in January 2019.

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This was the third positive test in his career, albeit the first, in 2010, was down to an error by officials in the South African team who accidentally gave banned substances.

Meanwhile, Dyantyi is still suspended after testing positive for anabolic steroids last year during a Springboks training camp. SAIDS confirmed that samples provided by the 13-cap international in July tested positive for three prohibited substances, although he has insisted that he is innocent. However, his B-sample was also tested, which confirmed the presence of banned substances metandienone, methyltestosterone and LGD-4033.

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Given the many successes South African rugby have experienced over the past year, this career-ending ban handed to Ralepelle has not only reminded many that the somewhat forgotten issue with Dyantyi needs to be resolved, but has raised concerns that he may suffer a similar fate.

Of course, the circumstances for both players are vastly different, and that is why there is much more sympathy for Dyantyi than there is for the former Sharks hooker after repeat offences. But the 2018 World Rugby breakthrough player of the year still faces a potential four-year ban, which could well spell the end of his career.

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“I want to deny ever taking any prohibited substance, intentionally or negligently, to enhance my performance on the field. I believe in hard work and fair play,” Dyanti, who continues to maintain his innocence, said last year.

His agent, Van der Merwe this week. “We’re in Saids’s hands now.“We are waiting for them to direct us regarding when we will have the hearing. We just want to get this over with, so we are waiting for them to direct us as to what’s the quickest way we will be able to sort this out.”

“We are still waiting for the final results from the lab. Yes, we are confident.”

This has been an agonising delay for the 25-year-old as it was expected that the verdict on his case would be given at the beginning of the year, yet with over six months past in 2020, there is still no answer.

The COVID-19 pandemic would certainly not have expedited proceedings, but there is a sense that there may be answers soon.

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Jon 9 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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