South Africa has sent home two of its players from the current Autumn International tour of the Six Nations, as Chiliboy Ralepelle and Bjorn Basson both tested positive for the banned substance methylhexaneamine.
Methylhexaneamine is a stimulant that has been known to be present in nasal decongestants, but has also been included on the World Anti-Doping Agency list of non specified stimulants since early 2010.
The stimulant has been the cause of a number of high profile positive samples across a number of sports, including Commonwealth Games women’s 100m gold medallist, Nigerian Damola Osayemi.
It is unclear how the pair came to have methylhexaneamine in their systems, however, the club doctor said both players have been on medication for flu symptoms. As a precaution, the team has also sent energy drinks for testing due to the surprise test results occurring in more than one player.
