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 Anastrozole – a hormone and metabolic modulator – in 2025, though doing so does not warrant a mandatory suspension.
But the 27-year-old also “self-declared” using Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), believing it was allowed.
DHEA is a substance that boosts testosterone, which can in turn help muscle growth and athletic performance, and is on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned list.
After being charged by the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS), Ntlabakanye 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.