Dyantyi faces minimum four-year ban if substance is anabolic steroid

Springbok and Lions winger Aphiwe Dyantyi faces the prospect of a minimum four-year ban if the substance in his system is an anabolic steroid.

Dyantyi announced in a statement on Saturday that he tested positive for a banned substance while he was part of the Springbok camps in the lead-up to the Rugby Championship.

The South African Institute of Drug Free Sports (Saids) chief executive officer Khalid Galant said the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) settled on the four-year ban for anabolic steroids because of the benefits an athlete gets from performance enhancing substances.

“Previously‚ it used to be two years‚ but the World anti-Doping code was adjusted in 2015.

"That year‚ the ban was increased to four years and that was largely because science looked at the benefit you accrued from the use of anabolic steroids or doping‚” Galant said.

“Quite a few athletes wanted a life-time ban‚ but the compromise was a four-year ban.

"Sport cycles work in four years because of Olympics and World Cups‚ so that's the context of the four-year ban.”

Dyantyi was also reported to have suffered a hamstring injury which ruled him out of the Rugby Championship.

On Monday‚ Springbok coach Johan “Rassie” Erasmus insisted that Dyantyi was never in his plans for the World Cup and his lack of game time counted against him.

Galant wasn't at liberty to talk about the substance that was found in Dyantyi's system‚ but said that would be revealed when a press release is issued later this week. Dyantyi's B-sample was analysed on Tuesday morning and if it comes back positive‚ he could either plead guilty or take matters further by not pleading guilty‚ which would then lead to a hearing.

“The A-sample is 60ml with the B-sample being 30ml from the same day.

"In the case where the athlete tests positive for something‚ the athlete is notified but the B-sample test is optional.

"It's used as a confirmation. It's only a test to see if the substance/s identified in the A-sample are present in the B-sample‚” Galant said.

“Once those results come and let's assume they confirm the A-sample‚ the athlete is then formally charged with a doping offence.

"When you're charged‚ you have a right to a defence.

"If the athlete wants to dispute the charge and plead not guilty‚ you then go to an arbitration tribunal hearing.

"If the athlete accepts the charge and has a guilty plea‚ we do a reasoned decision and the athlete gets a ban based on the World Doping code framework on the substance/s that was identified.”

Galant also said Sharks and Springbok hooker Mahlatse “Chiliboy” Ralepelle case is at the hearing stage.

Ralepelle was found to have the banned substance Zeranol in his system‚ something that was confirmed by both his A and B-samples.

“He's still in the hearing process.

"We've adjourned and the second adjournment is on Wednesday.

"That case is still far from being resolved.

"His B-sample confirmed his A-sample but he pleaded not guilty‚” Galant said.