3 Springboks Banned for Doping Since 2019 — Including World Cup Winners

As stated in their article, the country is the worst offender in terms of doping violations, with 20% of convicted rugby dopers from 2019 to 2023 coming from South Africa.

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However, in the last ten years — during which the Springboks won back-to-back Rugby World Cups in 2019 and 2023— their drug testing has decreased “sixfold”, according to the report.

The findings have sparked renewed debate around anti-doping enforcement in the sport and whether testing levels in South Africa are keeping pace with other major rugby nations.

While the Springboks’ success on the field has been historic during that period, several high-profile South African internationals have also received doping bans in recent years — including members of the country’s World Cup-winning generation.

Former Springbok wing Aphiwe Dyantyi was one of the most high-profile doping cases in South African rugby in recent years.

Dyantyi burst onto the international scene in 2018 and was named World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year after a sensational debut season for the Springboks.

However, his career came to a sudden halt after he tested positive for several banned substances in 2019, including metandienone, methyltestosterone and LGD-4033.

The case resulted in a four-year suspension, ruling him out of the 2019 Rugby World Cup and sidelining him from professional rugby during what should have been the prime years of his career.

World Cup-winning fly-half Elton Jantjies was handed a four-year ban in 2024 after testing positive for the banned substance clenbuterol.

Jantjies was part of South Africa’s 2019 Rugby World Cup-winning squad, providing fly-half cover during the tournament in Japan.

The positive test came several years after the World Cup triumph and marked a dramatic fall from grace for the experienced playmaker, who had earned more than 40 caps for the Springboks.

Another member of the 2019 World Cup-winning squad, winger S’busiso Nkosi also received a doping suspension in 2024.

Nkosi tested positive for the anabolic steroid boldenone, resulting in a three-year ban from the sport.

The powerful wing had been one of South Africa’s most dangerous attacking threats during the late 2010s and was widely regarded as a key part of the Springboks’ World Cup-winning depth.

There is also a current doping case involving Springbok prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye, who has been formally charged with anti-doping violations following an adverse test result.

The forward denies wrongdoing and is awaiting a disciplinary hearing that will determine whether a suspension will be imposed.

With South Africa producing a significant share of rugby’s recent doping violations, the Telegraph report has intensified scrutiny on anti-doping procedures in the country.

The claim that testing levels have dropped sharply during the same decade that the Springboks dominated world rugby is likely to fuel further debate within the sport in the months ahead.