Chiliboy Ralepelle banned from rugby for 8 years
Former Springbok hooker Chiliboy Ralepelle has been banned from rugby for eight years.
The decision to ban Ralepelle from rugby was handed down by an Independent Doping Tribunal Panel.
He was part of the Springbok squad when England was handed a crushing 42-6 defeat by South Africa. It was the heaviest defeat that England had ever suffered at Twickenham.
Ralepelle tested positive for the banned growth hormone Zeranol, during an out-of-competition test on 17 January 2019.
He challenged the doping charge and was afforded the opportunity to seek legal counsel to present his case and version of events to the tribunal panel.
Hearings of the case were adjourned multiple times and were held over a period of six months. The Independent Doping Tribunal Panel reached a decision first on the merits of the case where they found Ralepelle guilty of a doping offense.
The rugby player had previously tested positive on two separate occasions while playing overseas.
The Zeranol positive case was his third positive dope test during his playing career within a 10 year period.
Ralepelle’s first positive case was ruled a No Fault decision and he then received a reprimand. The panel had to refer to sports jurisprudence to determine the appropriate sanction which they ruled to be the player’s second doping offense.
The Independent Doping Tribunal Panel ruled that Ralepelle must serve an eight-year ban for doping. The ban will expire on 27 January 2027.
Ralepelle currently plays for the Sharks in Super Rugby but this ban, running until 2027, will likely end his career although he does have 21 days to appeal against the sanction.
In related news, Bok winger Aphiwe Dyantyi is still waiting for a hearing date as Saids deals with Covid-19 related challenges.
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