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Bok Prop Ntlabakanye Hit with 18-Month Doping Ban
The Lions prop was found guilty after an adverse finding for anastrozole and DHEA, and he can appeal the sanction within 21 days.
- Springbok prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye received an 18-month ban effective yesterday, May 13, 2026, for an anti-doping rule violation, ruling him out until November 2027 and ending his Rugby World Cup 2027 participation.
- An Independent Doping Tribunal Panel imposed the sanction following two weeks of evidence and three weeks of deliberation, citing adverse findings for Anastrozole and self-declared use of Dehydroepiandrosterone .
- Ntlabakanye maintained his innocence throughout the process, noting he was prescribed medication by an endocrinologist; despite his defense, the ruling strips him of individual awards and could cost him up to R5-million in earnings.
- The player, along with the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport, World Rugby, and the World Anti-Doping Agency, has 21 days to file an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
- Earlier this week, former Georgia captain Merab Sharikadze received an 11-year ban following a joint investigation named Operation Obsidian that uncovered an alleged scheme involving sample substitution within the Georgian rugby setup.
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South African Asenathi Ntlabakanye has been suspended for 18 months by doping. He gave positive for anastrozole, a hormonal modulator, in a control performed out of competition on May 22, 2025. The sanction came into effect on May 13 and will end on November 13, 2027, so it would prevent Ntlabakanye from being in next year’s World Cup in Australia.
·Barcelona, Spain
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The South African rugby is once again splattered by a doping affair. The Asenathi Ntlabakanye pillar is 18 months suspended, missing the 2027 World Cup.
Coverage Details
Total News Sources18
Leaning Left3Leaning Right0Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution62% Center
Bias Distribution
- 62% of the sources are Center
62% Center
L 38%
C 62%
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