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'Shocked': Former Springbok admits 'unfortunate' doping issue in South African rugby

By Online Editors
Aphiwe Dyantyi is the most recent high-profile South African player to have tested positive for a banned substance. (Photo by Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

By NZ Herald

Former Springboks lock Marco Wentzel has sided with critics calling out South African rugby’s “problematic” doping culture.

Following the Springboks’ 2019 Rugby World Cup win in Tokyo earlier this month, South African rugby’s doping issue hit headlines.

Former Irish international Neil Francis recently called on World Rugby to investigate, suggesting that the organisation was happier turning a blind eye.

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“How certain are we when we point a finger to suggest there is a steroid culture in a country that has just won the World Cup? Fairly certain,” Francis wrote in the Irish Independent.

“What were we saying about latitude and dispensation? Do we need to put an asterisk beside the winners of the 2019 World Cup?”

Wentzel, who played for South Africa in 2002, told Sport24 it was difficult to argue against the claims with the South African rugby schoolboy scene presenting an alarming doping problem.

“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 told Sport24.

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“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, who played with Western Province, and Ralepelle both missed multiple seasons after testing positive in drug tests.

Most recently, 2018 World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year Dyantyi tested positive to banned substances.

Wentzel was shocked to learn about the doping culture in schoolboy rugby, with last year’s drug testing at the annual Craven Week tournament recording six positive findings for steroids.

He said it would be hard to reverse the trend with the highly competitive standard of schoolboy rugby demanding “massive” players.

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“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? It might spring from that because rugby is such a big cultural phenomenon,” Wentzel said.

“It is up to the coaches and parents to police the use of steroids but kids are kids. In today’s age you can’t stop them and if they want something they’ll get it.”

The Springboks sent fans on social media into meltdown shortly before the start of the Rugby World Cup in Japan, with a team picture showing off their chiselled upper bodies.

The Boks beat England 32-12 in the final to claim a third Webb Ellis trophy.

This article first appeared on nzherald.co.nz and was republished with permission.

In other news:

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J
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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