Springbok prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye will remain available for the Lions until at least the end of March, after his disciplinary hearing was pushed back.
Ntlabakanye, who tested positive for a banned substance earlier this year and was therefore not considered by the Springboks in August, had originally been scheduled to face his hearing in December. But according to Netwerk24, the process has been delayed due to the availability of expert witnesses and ongoing logistical challenges.
READ: Ntlabakanye faces four-year ban
Khalid Galant, CEO of the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (Saids), told the publication the matter has now been moved to the last week of March, with both the athlete’s representatives and Saids still securing expert opinions.
The delay means the 26-year-old tighthead can be picked for the Lions’ next 10 matches across the Vodacom URC and the Investec Challenge Cup, with his final expected outing before the hearing likely being the 21 March clash against Edinburgh. He started against Benetton on Saturday and featured for the Springboks against Wales in Cardiff last month.
Ntlabakanye has not been provisionally suspended because the substance involved does not fall into a category requiring an automatic provisional ban. He has also opted not to voluntarily stand down, allowing him to play until his case is heard.
Netwerk24 reports that the involvement of a sports doctor who prescribed the substances could be treated as a mitigating factor, with expectations that any eventual sanction may fall in the one-to-two-year range, rather than the maximum four years.
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