Springboks: Sbu Nkosi learns his fate after failed doping test: Planet Rugby

Former Springbok streaker Sbu Nkosi has been banned for a long time by World Rugby after testing positive for a banned substance earlier this year.

According to a report in the Sunday newspaper rapportThe rugby union club's governing body has banned the winner of the 2019 Rugby World Cup for three years.

This comes after traces of an anabolic steroid, used in particular by bodybuilders, were found in the 28-year-old's sample and he will reportedly have to serve his ban retroactively to July 16 of this year.

The chances of him playing for the Springboks again are slim

This means that Nkosi will be 31 years old when he returns to action after his suspension, making his chances of representing South Africa in friendly matches very slim.

Nkosi played 16 test matches for South Africa between 2018 and 2021, scoring nine tries, and was part of the Springboks team that won the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.

The 28-year-old, who previously played for the Bulls and Sharks, joined the Cheetahs in March on a one-year contract.

Nkosi has been in the news in recent years due to his mental health issues.

Springboks: World champion’s career at an end before doping ban

In December 2022 – during his time with the Bulls – he was reported missing after a three-week absence. He was later found at his father's house in eMalahleni, Mpumalanga.

After a break from rugby, Nkosi returned to action with the Pretoria side in February last year, suffering a URC loss to the Stormers at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.

Didn't reach his full potential with the Bulls

However, he did not live up to his potential and in May 2023, the Bulls allowed him to represent the Barbarians in London, where he scored two tries in their 48-42 victory over a world-ranked player.

However, he subsequently made a social media post that was widely interpreted as criticism of the Bulls.

“It has reignited my passion to spend just one week with men who are pure of heart. A break from being judged by men who are bigger in their minds than they really are,” Nkosi wrote on his Instagram profile.

Not long after, he parted ways with the Bulls by mutual consent, despite being halfway through his two-year contract, but was then given a bailout by his former Springbok teammate Frans Steyn, who is now the Cheetahs' director of rugby.

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