SA Rugby director of rugby Rassie Erasmus says the door to the Springboks for Aphiwe Dyantyi is open as he is set to return to rugby after serving a four-year doping ban.
Before banned substances – methandienone, methyltestosterone and LGD-4033 – were found in Dyantyi's system after a test while in camp with the Boks, his star in rugby was on the rise. In 2018 he won the World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year after scoring six tries in 13 Tests for the Boks.
He looked set to play a key role in the Bok setup for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan but was rather out of the system for four years after being banned for doping.
This week, the Sharks announced that they had signed Dyantyi, giving him a new lease on life and a chance to revive his rugby career. Looking at how the four-year ban stalled Dyantyi's career, Erasmus said taking performance-enhancing substances was not worth it.
“If you look at the penalty he paid – four years – it’s not worth doing something like that,” Erasmus told the media during a Springbok media conference in Pretoria.
“Again, I’m not judging him as a person, I’m saying it’s a lot. It would be nonsensical for a player to try in this day and age where you can’t get away with something like that.
“We get tested every day, in camp here there’s four to five players test every day in the last two years; there’s not a day that goes by where players don’t get tested. I don’t think you need something like that to make it at the highest level,” he said.
Seeing how the Sharks have given Dyanti a second chance, Erasmus said they would also be willing to open the Boks door for him based on his performances.
“I believe in second chances, in my personal, there was a ban decided by the panel, he served his ban for four years. I hope he comes back with a bang and does well at the Sharks and we can pick him one day for the Springboks.
“There are a lot of people who don’t feel the same way about that but I feel that’s why there was a time bearing to the ban. We believe in second chances, hopefully, he does well and we can look at him," Erasmus said.
‘Boks door open for Dyantyi’ after doping ban
Erasmus believes talented star deserves a second chance
Image: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix
SA Rugby director of rugby Rassie Erasmus says the door to the Springboks for Aphiwe Dyantyi is open as he is set to return to rugby after serving a four-year doping ban.
Before banned substances – methandienone, methyltestosterone and LGD-4033 – were found in Dyantyi's system after a test while in camp with the Boks, his star in rugby was on the rise. In 2018 he won the World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year after scoring six tries in 13 Tests for the Boks.
He looked set to play a key role in the Bok setup for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan but was rather out of the system for four years after being banned for doping.
This week, the Sharks announced that they had signed Dyantyi, giving him a new lease on life and a chance to revive his rugby career. Looking at how the four-year ban stalled Dyantyi's career, Erasmus said taking performance-enhancing substances was not worth it.
“If you look at the penalty he paid – four years – it’s not worth doing something like that,” Erasmus told the media during a Springbok media conference in Pretoria.
“Again, I’m not judging him as a person, I’m saying it’s a lot. It would be nonsensical for a player to try in this day and age where you can’t get away with something like that.
“We get tested every day, in camp here there’s four to five players test every day in the last two years; there’s not a day that goes by where players don’t get tested. I don’t think you need something like that to make it at the highest level,” he said.
Seeing how the Sharks have given Dyanti a second chance, Erasmus said they would also be willing to open the Boks door for him based on his performances.
“I believe in second chances, in my personal, there was a ban decided by the panel, he served his ban for four years. I hope he comes back with a bang and does well at the Sharks and we can pick him one day for the Springboks.
“There are a lot of people who don’t feel the same way about that but I feel that’s why there was a time bearing to the ban. We believe in second chances, hopefully, he does well and we can look at him," Erasmus said.
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