Breaking Bad — The extent of the doping problem in SA schoolboy rugby

The use of banned substances in schoolboy rugby has a long history and little is being done to stamp it out.

Anthony Norton is the founder and managing director of boutique regulatory law firm Nortons Inc. He is a Rhodes Scholar and has a Master’s in Law from Oxford University.

About 16 years ago, renowned sports physician Professor Jon Patricios raised the alarm as to whether the unchecked use of supplements by schoolboy athletes in South African schools – a significant number of which at the time contained banned substances – was cause for considerable concern.

His concerns went unheeded. Despite attempts by the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (Saids) to offer free testing to schoolboy athletes and other alternative proposals which involved paid-for testing by private laboratories, there is currently no regular and comprehensive drug testing of schoolboy athletes at a high school level as matters stand.

The only testing that takes place is at certain specific events, such as the Craven Week, which happens only once a year.

Unfortunately, as a result, it appears to be the case that certain schoolboy athletes and their parents feel emboldened to procure various unlawful supplements and substances, including, in some cases, anabolic steroids in attempts to improve athletes’ performance and increase their physical size.

There have been several recent cases where schoolboy or former schoolboy rugby players, including at a Springbok under-20 level, have tested positive for anabolic steroids. This could be a reflection of a much bigger problem, which is materially underreported, because of the failure to conduct wide-ranging testing at schoolboy level.

There are obvious dangers in allowing the situation to continue. First, schoolboys who take anabolic steroids or other unlawful substances put their health at significant risk. Long-term use of these substances can result in very serious health consequences and, in some instances, can even prove fatal.

Second, one should call it out for what it is – it is cheating, plain and simple. It is not fair that certain athletes will try to take shortcuts to enhance their performance while others must rely on good old-fashioned effort and discipline.

Third, there will be long-term negative consequences for the reputation of South African sport in general and rugby in particular if this type of conduct is not reined in. It is no secret that various international rugby federations are closely watching the doping outcomes in South African rugby and there are already murmurings that perhaps South Africa’s success on the rugby field can be partly attributed to unlawful substance abuse.

It is probably objectively fair to say that South African schoolboy rugby has no equal anywhere in the world and the success of our under-20 team is in large measure a reflection of the quality of the rugby players that we have at schoolboy level.