Former Grey College and Wits player handed three-year doping ban
· The South African
Former Grey College and Wits rugby player Liam Santos has been handed a three-year suspension after testing positive for prohibited anabolic steroids, the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS) has confirmed.
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The sanction follows an in-competition test conducted on Santos on 20 February 2026.
Banned at all times
According to SAIDS, the athlete tested positive for the presence of Drostanolone Metabolite (2a-methyl-5a-androstan-3a-ol-17-one) and the Dehydrochloromethyl Testosterone Metabolite (4a-chloro-18-nor-17b-hydroxymethyl, 17a-methyl-5a-androst-13-en-3a-ol) in his urine sample.
Under the 2026 World Anti-Doping Code (WADC) Prohibited List, both Drostanolone and Dehydrochloromethyl-Testosterone are classified as Category S1 substances (Anabolic Androgenic Steroids), which are banned at all times, both in and out of competition.
The positive test reportedly followed a Varsity Shield fixture against UFH in which loose forward Santos, scored a hat-trick.
Santos, who previously represented Grey College in Bloemfontein before continuing his career at Wits University, initially accepted a four-year sanction for the anti-doping rule violation.
However, the suspension was reduced to three years after he made an early admission of guilt in terms of Article 10.8.1 of the SAIDS Rules.
His period of ineligibility began on 24 April 2026, the date he was notified of his mandatory provisional suspension, and will remain in effect until 23 April 2029.
Latest in a series of doping sanctions
The case is the latest in a series of doping sanctions announced by SAIDS as the organisation continues its efforts to protect the integrity of South African sport and combat the use of performance-enhancing substances.
For Santos, the ban represents a major setback, ruling him out of all competitive rugby and sporting activities for the next three years.
The sanction also serves as a reminder of the strict anti-doping regulations in place across all levels of sport, with athletes held responsible for any prohibited substances found in their systems.