Springbok and Lions tighthead prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye is set to know the outcome of his doping hearing soon.
News24 reports that closing arguments by the prosecution and defence in Ntlabakanye’s case were completed last week, and the tribunal panel is now deliberating before delivering a decision within the next three weeks.
If found guilty, the 27-year-old potentially faces a ban from the sport of between two to four years.
The case dates back to August 2025, when Ntlabakanye tested positive for a specified, non-performance-enhancing banned substance, anastrozole. He had taken the substance under medical guidance.
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He was later formally charged after declaring that he had taken Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a separate substance which is considered performance-enhancing. The outcome of the hearing is likely to hinge on the DHEA element.
Ntlabakanye has continued to feature for the Lions, as he had not been formally suspended. The three-Test forward also attended first of the Bok alignment camps earlier this year.
Photo: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images
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