Springboks: World Cup winner's career in tatters ahead of doping ban

Springboks winger Sbu Nkosi faces a potential career-ending doping ban after reportedly testing positive for the use of a banned substance.

The 28-year-old, who won the Rugby World Cup with the Springboks in 2019, was missing from the Cheetahs’ matchday 23 for the Currie Cup clash against the Bulls at Loftus this weekend and may have already played his final game.

According to a report by respected South African newspaper, the Rapport, Nkosi was tested by World Rugby along with three other Springboks in May this year.

His A sample reportedly tested positive for the use of anabolic steroids which is mainly used by bodybuilders.

If Nkosi’s B sample also tests positive, he faces a potential ban of up to four years and it is seldom the case that the A sample is positive and the B sample is not.

The South African Institute for Drug-Free Sports (Saids) were contacted by the publication but the chief executive Khalid Galant was unable to comment.

“Please contact World Rugby about this matter,” Galant wrote in reply to the Rapport

“We sometimes do tests on their behalf in South Africa but I cannot comment on tests that fall under World Rugby’s authority.”

Rugby’s governing body did not respond to the publication.

It’s a massive setback for Nkosi’s career after the winger failed to make the most of his move from the Sharks to the Bulls in 2022.

During that time, he also had his battles with his mental health and went MIA for three weeks in late November of 2022.

The winger went on to openly criticise the Bulls on social media stating that he felt ‘judged’ by the Pretoria-based franchise with director of rugby Jake White taking umbrage to his remarks.

After a spell away from the game, Nkosi looked to rekindle his career in Bloemfontein with ex-team-mate Frans Steyn – the Cheetahs’ director of rugby – signing the speedster ahead of the 2024 Currie Cup campaign.

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According to the Rapport, Nkosi is one of the players on a PONI (player of national interest) contract meaning that SA Rugby pays part of his salary every month.

It is also reported that the Cheetahs are continuing to support the player who they vouched for when he purchased his house in Bloemfontein and have been deducting his instalments from his salary.

The winger debuted for the Springboks in 2018 against England and played a total of 16 Test matches scoring nine tries with his final appearance being in 2021 against New Zealand in Australia.

Nkosi becomes the fourth Springbok since 2019 to test positive for banned substances after Aphiwe Dyantyi, Chiliboy Ralepelle and Elton Jantjies all tested positive.

Dyantyi has since returned to the rugby pitch after a four-year ban that he served between 2019 and 2023 while Ralepelle’s career ended in 2019 when he tested positive for Zeranol and was banned for eight years in 2019.

Jantjies is still contesting his four-year ban that was issued to him earlier this year.

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