Ralepelle given stinging rebuke by Jacques Burger on Twitter following latest drugs ban

The protests by Chiliboy Ralepelle after his latest drugs ban have not swayed former Saracens flanker Jacques Burger. The hooker was handed an eight-year ban by the South Africa Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS) at the beginning of the month after testing positive for a banned anabolic agent in January 2019.

The 33-year-old Ralepelle, who earned the last of his 25 Springboks caps in 2018 against England, was subject to a random check at the Sharks last year where he tested positive for zeranol, which was the third positive drugs test in his career. 

The first dated back to 2010 when, at the age of 24, Ralepelle was suspended and sent home from the end of year Springboks tour for testing positive for methylhexanamine. This later turned out to have been supplied by South Africa themselves, so all charges did not stand. 

However, he failed a test again in 2014 while with Toulouse which returned positive for the anabolic steroid drostanolone.

He was banned for two years and his contract with the French giants was terminated. He made a return to rugby in 2016 with the Sharks, going on to be capped again by the Springboks on three further occasions, but his career looks to be all but over now with such a lengthy ban which will end in January 2027 when he is 40.

Ralepelle recently addressed his ban and said that he will not rest until his name is cleared, while also saying black players are held to a different standard.

But the former Namibia captain Burger has not been convinced by the South African’s appeal, bluntly responding on Twitter: “You tested positive three times. Stop blaming others and take responsibility for your actions.”

Burger views do not differ too much from the world of social media where there is not a great deal of sympathy for the 25-cap Springbok after his repeated offences. 

Conversely, there is a lot more compassion for Aphiwe Dyantyi, another South Africa international who is awaiting the hearing into his failed drugs test last year.