South Africa prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye has been banned for 18 months for breaking anti-doping rules – a decision which is set to rule 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 carried on playing while the issue was investigated.
The 27-year-old “self-declared” using DHEA believing it was allowed but, after being charged by the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS), has been banned by an independent doping tribunal panel.
His 18-month suspension started on 13 May and will take him up to next November, at the end of the World Cup in Australia. Ntlabakanye has 21 days to appeal.
