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South Africa prop Asanathi Ntlabakanye has been banned for 18 months for breaking anti-doping rules – a decision that ruled him out of the 2027 World Cup.
Ntlabakanye, who plays for Johannesburg-based club Lions, tested positive for the banned substance Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in 2025 and continued playing while the matter was investigated.
The 27-year-old “self-proclaimed” using DHEA he believed was allowed but, after being accused by the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS), has been banned by an independent doping tribunal panel.
His 18-month ban began on May 13 and will take him until next November after the World Cup in Australia. Ntlabkanye has 21 days to appeal.
