Champion Boks must declare war on drugs

A weekly look at the game’s other talking points

- BRENDAN GALLAGHER

THIS column has reported back on the doping antics of Springbok hooker Chilliboy Ralapelle before, not to mention the doping allegations concerning brilliant Boks wing Aphiwe Dyanti and, indeed, the worrying incidence of doping in Schools Rugby in South Africa.

So an update is overdue no matter how much the authorities would like to see such stories disappear and not detract from the feel-good factor of the Boks’ World Cup victory last October.

Ralapelle, who made history by becoming the first black captain of South Africa in December 2006 against a World XV, was suspended this week for eight years following his latest doping offense which effectively ends a notorious career in which he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) on three occasions.

It is surely now a matter of huge regret in South Africa that such a serial cheat was consistently picked for South Africa touring squads and Test teams at a time when a proper South African legend like Schalk Brits was cast to the wilderness before his dramatic reintroduction to the squad for RWC2019.

The winner of 25 Springbok caps, Ralapelle tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid Zeranol during out-of-competition training with the Sharks on January 17 last year and the long disciplinary process ended on Wednesday when an independent doping panel, taking into account his previous doping history, imposed the career-ending ban.