Springbok players sing the national anthem ahead of their Test match against Wales at Cape Town Stadium in Cape Town FILE - Springbok players sing the national anthem ahead of their Test match against Wales at Cape Town Stadium in Cape Town. Photo: Rodger Bosch/AFP
Cape Town — SA Rugby have released a statement claiming they were aware of ‘unsubstantiated allegations’ of recreational drug use by members of the Springbok squad.
On Saturday, a report was published in SARugbymag that said Afrikaans newspaper Rapport were working on a story that alleges several Springboks have tested positive for cocaine.
🚨![CDATA[]]>🚨JUST IN: SA Rugby has responded to the allegations that certain players in the Springbok team have tested positive for Drug use. Read statement below⬇️ @Grit_SportsNews pic.twitter.com/HCg7qD8gLD
— Avuyile Sawula (@avuyile_ndzora) September 17, 2022
“SA Rugby is aware that unsubstantiated allegations of failed tests for recreational drugs by Springbok players are circulating among members of the media,” they said in the statement on Saturday.
“Disappointingly, these allegations have already appeared online despite the absence of any evidence to support them.
“SA Rugby has consistently advised all inquiring media that no such reports have been received by SA Rugby or any player from the only authority permitted to perform such tests, the South African Institute for Drug Free Sport. SA Rugby does not conduct its own tests.
“Despite the absence of any such reports, players and management in Argentina have been contacted to ‘tell their story’, distracting and destabilising the entire camp in the build-up today’s Test against Argentina in Buenos Aires.
“SA Rugby wishes to repeat that it has no evidence of any adverse analytical findings for any kind of drug — be it performance enhancing or recreational — by Springbok players and regards the publication or the threat to publish such allegations as a deliberate attempt to sabotage the team’s preparations.”
The latest drama follows that involving flyhalf Elton Jantjies, who was alleged, also by Rapport. to have had an extramarital affair with the team’s dietician Zeenat Simjee.
Jantjies and Simjee, who were sent home from Argentina earlier this week, both denied they were involved in an affair.
IOL Sport
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