SA Schoolboy Rugby Doping Fears Grow As Calls for Nationwide Testing Mount
- Fresh cases involving young South African rugby players have put anti-doping measures under renewed scrutiny
- A prominent lawyer is calling for a much broader testing approach across the schoolboy game
- SAIDS says targeted testing and intelligence are already being used to identify potential violations
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South African schoolboy rugby is facing renewed questions over doping, with calls for nationwide drug testing following a series of recent cases involving young players.
The latest call comes from regulatory lawyer Anthony Norton, who wrote in Daily Maverick on 16 August 2026 that South Africa needs to rethink its approach to testing at high school level.
Norton argued that comprehensive testing is not currently conducted across schoolboy rugby and warned that the true extent of banned substance use may therefore be difficult to establish.
Recent cases put schoolboy rugby under spotlight
The debate comes weeks after 18-year-old Junior Springbok prop Kai Pratt returned an adverse analytical finding for an anabolic steroid.
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The Sharks confirmed the case in July. Pratt was tested in Stellenbosch on 10 April while preparing for the SANZAAR Under-20 Rugby Championship. He has requested analysis of his B sample, meaning the disciplinary process remains ongoing.
Another case involves former South Africa Schools prop Deon Botes. SAIDS says Botes tested positive for metabolites of nandrolone during the 2025 Craven Week. Following a June 2026 hearing, he received a four-year sanction running until August 2029.
The cases are particularly significant because both players had links to elite youth rugby pathways.
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SAIDS explains its testing approach
Norton pointed to Craven Week as an example of event-based testing. However, SAIDS CEO Khalid Galant said testing is also conducted at other youth events, including the Under-16 Grant Khomo Week.
Galant said SAIDS uses intelligence and data to determine who should be tested.
“We use a lot of intelligence-based testing,” Galant told Daily Maverick, explaining that performance data, rankings and tip-offs can influence testing decisions.
That approach means fewer tests do not necessarily indicate less anti-doping activity.
Why nationwide testing is being debated
Norton nevertheless believes schools, parents and rugby bodies should consider a coordinated nationwide testing regime.
His concerns extend beyond competitive fairness. He argued that young athletes using anabolic steroids or other prohibited substances could face serious health consequences.
The wider rugby system has also faced major doping cases in 2026. Springbok and Lions prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye received an 18-month suspension after an independent panel found anti-doping rule violations involving Anastrozole and DHEA. The case involved substances used in 2025, and Ntlabakanye maintained that the substances had been medically approved.
For schoolboy rugby, the question now is whether targeted testing is enough or whether a broader nationwide programme is required.
Norton wrote that safeguards would be necessary because minors are involved, but argued that schools should not ignore the issue.
Former Springboks react to Kai Pratt doping test
Briefly News also reported that former Springboks Jean de Villiers, Schalk Burger and Hanyani Shimange reacted to Kai Pratt’s failed doping test.
During their discussion, they strongly criticised the decision to use a prohibited substance, with “stupid” among the words used to describe it.
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Source: Briefly News
