South Africa's Chiliboy Ralepelle and Bjorn Basson fail doping tests

[TRF_Cymro]

South Africa duo Chiliboy Ralepelle and Bjorn Basson have been suspended and sent home after failing drugs tests.

Hooker Ralepelle and winger Basson tested positive for a banned stimulant following the Springboks' 23-21 win over Ireland in Dublin on 6 November.

Both played in Saturday's 29-25 victory against Wales, Ralepelle coming on as a late substitute while Basson started.

The South African Rugby Union was told of the positive tests late on Sunday and it has suspended both players.

Six Nations Rugby Ltd, who administers the November internationals, informed the South Africans of their findings and as a result the pair have been sent home.

Basson was due to fly back on Monday in any event as he injured his ankle in the victory over Wales and had been ruled out of the rest of the tour.

The 23-year-old winger, won the third of his four caps in the 23-21 win against Ireland and is the record holder for the most tries in a Currie Cup campaign.

He started the game against Ireland, while Ralepelle was an unused substitute.

The 24-year-old hooker has made 17 international appearances and he was the first black player to captain the national side when he led them out against a World XV in Leicester.

Both players tested positive for methylhexaneamine, a "non-specified stimulant" on the prohibited substances list of the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada).

Methylhexaneamine is scheduled to be reclassified as a "specified stimulant" from 1 January 2011.

The players have the right to request that their 'B' sample be tested.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/9190833.stm
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[durbutter]

******* hell.

 

[lynam1104]

Can i demand a rematch just so we can have another go at them not the AB's? But in all seriousness this is bad news for rugby i SA and just in general.

 

[Saints1]

OFFICIAL TRF NOTICE

Please do not speculate towards substances etc, all will come out in due course.

 

[Tank94]

Well Basson is a really good player its a shame to see him failing a drug test.

As for Chilliboy, i dont even think he should be in the squad and hopefully this will allow other better hookers to ploay SA.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Tut tut tut!
I really don't understand why any professional athlete would risk anything like this! They know they get tests, and they know the concequences of getting caught! It's not like the general public were you get a slap on the wrists/a fine/whatever, this is their career they're jeopardising!

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

This is a shocker. I am really curious what it is that came up in the test and what the consequences will be. I don't think they will be very happy back in Pretoria where they just signed Basson a month ago. What are the chances of a long-term ban?

 

[Tank94]

I really hate the bulls, buying out another player.

 

[nickdnz]

Methylhexaneamine is a recently banned substance in New Zealand party pills, according to wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methylhexaneamine

 

[ST1]

This is really sad. and the Bulls sold Banidse Maku to the lions, so they who are the bulls going to use as a hooker.... Maybee Zane Botha will get a shot.....

 

[gingergenius]

can't really see why a rugby player would use a performance-enhancing drug, since it's not the sort of sport where that's gonna help. i'd suggest it's likely it was in some drug they took for recreational/ health reasons... in which case i don't care.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

..and it's a kak drug for enhancing performance in the first case. I have a suspicion that it got taken by the players in ignorance either outside of the team doctor's knowing (recerational that they wanted to keep silent) or the medical team was not very sharp on regulating the player's intake. In any case still a very serious matter especially since this is at test level and during a Springbok tour. Have to say that either way someone had to make a stuff-up and has to pay for bringing the jersey and game in general in disrepute. Seeing as both players are Blue Bulls I sufggest the franchise rename themsleves to the Red Bulls which would help seeing as there are too many teams with a blue kit in the S15 allready.

 

[smartcooky]

The drug in their systems was a nasal decongestant. The two South African players have committed the heinous and unforgivable crime of catching a cold in Britain's shitty cold & wet weather.

If there is a Doctor in the house, perhaps one of the them could come on here and explain exactly how nasal decongestant enhances performance (other, of course, than giving a player the totally unfair advantage of feeling a little better when he has a bung nose!!!)

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Have you got a source/link to an article that says that's what happened?

According to wikipedia there are several athletes that have been banned in the past because of this substance, so it's obviously on the banned list for a reason!

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Ye its banned for a reason but in January its coming off the list so how bad is it?

Just found this: (Yes I know its show jumping)

http://www.britishshowjumping.co.uk...k-anti-doping-warning-about-methylhexaneamine

Methylhexaneamine is prohibited in sport. It is increasingly being found in nutritional supplements, typically those that are designed to increase energy or aid weight loss. Methylhexaneamine is commonly referred to by a number of alternative names including 1,3-dimethylamylamine, dimethylamylamine, dimethylpentylamine, DMAA, forthan, forthane, floradrene, geranamine and geranium oil.

At the commonwealth games one of the Nigerian runners was found with it in their system:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/commonwealth_games/delhi_2010/9082481.stm

9 for Australia

http://www.ndtv.com/article/commonw...tes-test-positive-for-methylhexaneamine-61768

and lastly:

http://thecatlinperspective.wordpress.com/2010/09/10/33/

Methylhexaneamine is a weak stimulant that was added to the WADA list of banned substances in 2010. It is very similar to the banned substance tuaminoheptane, which was added to the WADA list of banned substances in 2008. In 2009, five Jamaican athletes returned positive drug test results after using methyhexaneamine. Although methylhexaneamine was not banned at the time, sanctions were pursued based on the rarely invoked "and related substances" clause in the WADA rules. Methylhexaneamine is chemically similar to tuaminoheptane. It was added to the WADA banned list largely in response to this situation.

Methylhexaneamine has an interesting history. It was first trademarked under the name "Forthane' by Eli Lilly in 1971 as a nasal decongestant. That trademark has since expired. Patrick Arnold of BALCO fame and the creator of THG and other designer steroids, was part owner of Proviant Technologies until recently. Proviant Technologies currently holds a patent on Geranamine, a synonym for methylhexaneamine. You can also find it under the synonyms Forthan, Forthane, Floradrene jack3d, DMAA, shizandol A, 1-3 dimethylamine and Geranamine. It is often used as a "party pill" in New Zealand. It is included in many dietary supplements around the world using synonyms that may not be recognizable as banned substances. Methylhexaneamine has been shown to be naturally present in geranium oil at amounts less than 1%. This natural presence is why it is argued that the drug should be allowed to be used in dietary supplements. Given all the confusion it is certainly plausible that the Indian athletes were unaware that they were taking a banned substance.

The larger issues here are why is methylhexaneamine banned in sport and still legal in dietary supplements. If it is a stimulant then it should be banned in sport but should it not also be considered a controlled substance and thus not be allowed as an ingredient in dietary supplements? If the reason it is allowed to be in dietary supplement is that the drug is present naturally in geranium oil in small amounts,

 

[Seaton]

As only two SA players got selected for testing, and they got selected at random, and considering how little this 'stimulant' stimulates, I see two or three things

1. The entire Bok ate/drank (not neccesarily alcohol of course) at a place, or from a single source, in which case the entire squad has the problem. (This involves consuming the stimulant without knowing it)
2. Maybe a group of players, which included the two mentioned, ate/drank/accidentally consumed from a single source.

3. or, once again considering the nature of the 'drug', (and this is the predominant South Africa view [in Durban at least]) that the Boks were set-up by New Zealand and the IRB, Chilliboy and Basson specifically chosen for testing, in order to tarnish the Bok image and etc....

Obviously I feel this was an accident, and hope only a small group of players were involved, as I want Scotland to beat the Boks on the field, not by forfeit due to suspensions
The last one really ****** me off, I hope it is just in Durban, but everyone I talk to this about is sure its a conspiracy

 

[lynam1104]

Really people feel that way? that's odd if an Irish player came up whit the same results i would think the first two not the last

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

I thought conspiracy theories were an American thing...

 

[lynam1104]

NZ would be one that springs to mind...

 

[durbutter]

Really people feel that way? that's odd if an Irish player came up whit the same results i would think the first two not the last

This happened to Frankie Sheahan a few years ago. He took asthma medicine or something and tested positive. He was cleared then.

Much ado about nothing i'd say.