Former Springbok winger Dyantyi was banned from rugby in December 2019 after he tested positive for performance-enhancing substances in August of that year.
Aphiwe Dyantyi reacts after scoring a try during the Rugby Championship match between South Africa and Australia at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on 29 September 2018. Picture: AFP
JOHANNESBURG – Former Springbok wing, Aphiwe Dyantyi, will make his return to professional rugby after a four-year doping suspension with the Sharks.
The Durban franchise made the much-anticipated announcement on Tuesday morning after the mercurial Dyantyi spent the better part of a year training in the city.
It’s official ✍️, welcome @aphiweQ04 to #OurSharks family. #FearTheFin pic.twitter.com/2IvBCdWfiv
‘ The Sharks (@SharksRugby) June 13, 2023
Dyantyi was banned from rugby in December 2019 after he tested positive for performance-enhancing substances in August of that year. The Easter Cape-raised talent failed a doping test during a Springbok camp on the eve of their successful Rugby World Cup campaign in Japan.
The wing burst onto the scene with the Lions and duly impressed in both the Currie Cup and Super Rugby competition before he was elevated to the national team. Dyantyi had one of the most outstanding debut seasons for the Springboks in recent memory, where he played in 13 internationals, and it culminated in him being named as World Rugby’s Breakthrough Player in 2018.
His absence from the game likely happened during the prime years of players in his position and it remains to be seen if he can recapture the form that made him an overnight sensation.
“I’m just excited to be back, and I just trust that everyone around me is as excited as I am to see what I can do,” Dyantyi said
Even if Dyantyi enjoys a fruitful return, his path back to the Boks may be more difficult than before following the emergence of players like Kurt-Lee Arendse, Canan Moodie and Edwill van der Merwe in his favoured positions.
There’s been no talk of going for higher honours at this stage and all the player wants to do is his best for the Kings Park side.
“I only promise to give my best for the jersey. I’ve been in Durban now for quite some time and I’ve seen what the Sharks mean to the people. I just want to contribute to that and I’ve seen the pride that people have and I want to honour that in all that I do,” said Dyantyi.
As things stand, Dyantyi is still under suspension and will only be eligible for selection from 12 August 2023 as the Sharks await confirmation from the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (Saids) on when exactly his ban will end.
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