Overview
- An investigation reported by The Telegraph cited WADA figures showing SAIDS rugby tests fell from 785 in 2015 to 127 in 2024, a sixfold drop.
- South Africa recorded 89 rugby doping violations over the period referenced, about 20% of the global total, according to the same data.
- SAIDS CEO Khalid Galant says funding constraints and the 2024 suspension of the Bloemfontein WADA lab drove the reduction, with testing now conducted via labs in Qatar and Belgium.
- World Rugby says South African internationals are tested year-round in its pool, including out-of-competition checks, and that shipping samples abroad complies with WADA rules.
- Public reaction has challenged suggestions that World Cup wins relied on undetected doping, while notable cases such as Asenathi Ntlabakanye’s contested positive remain separate disciplinary matters.