Former Springbok hooker loses his appeal against an eight-year doping ban

Former Springbok hooker Mahlatse 'Chiliboy' Ralepelle has lost his appeal against an eight-year doping ban, The SA Institute for Drug Free Sport (Saids) confirmed on Thursday.

The 34-year-old tested positive for anabolic steroid Zenarol in January last year ahead of the Sharks Super Rugby campaign and as result was handed an eight year ban as this was his second infringement regarding banned substances. 

Ralepelle appealed the decision in July this year alleging that the due process in the gathering and testing of the samples was not followed however he has lost his appeal.

In a statement issued on Thursday morning‚ Saids said the Independent Appeal Panel upheld the original sanction of eight years and his last resort is the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) in Switzerland.

“Mr Ralepelle tested positive for the banned anabolic agent‚ Zeranol‚ during a Sharks rugby training session on the 17th January 2019‚” said the Saids statement.

“The athlete contested the doping charges in front of an Independent Doping Hearing Panel. This panel found the athlete guilty of the doping offence and took into account that it was his second doping offence within a ten-year period. The panel relied on the sanction’s framework in the World Anti-Doping Code that granted them the jurisdiction to hand down an eight-year ban from sport."

“The athlete lodged an appeal against the ban and also the drug testing process that he was subjected to. An Independent Appel Panel heard the grounds for appeal. The Appeal Panel found that the panel that heard the hearing‚ in the first instance‚ had not erred in their application of the sanction’s framework in the World Anti-Doping Code.

“The Appeal Panel therefore upheld the original sanction of eight years. Mr Ralepelle’s ban from sport is backdated to the 17th January 2019 for eight years. If the athlete does not accept the decision‚ he may seek relief at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.”

Ralepelle played 25 tests for the Springboks between 2006 and 2018 having made his Springbok debut off the bench, at the age of 19, against the All Blacks in Pretoria.

In 2014 Ralepelle was banned from professional rugby for 2 years for the use of illegal substances and had his Toulouse contract cancelled.