Ex-Springboks Slam Junior Bok Doping as 'Stupid'

Three former Springboks have hit out at Junior Bok prop Kai Pratt after he tested positive for an anabolic steroid, with one word cutting through the noise: stupid.

Jean de Villiers, Schalk Burger and Hanyani Shimange all went on record to condemn the failed test, making clear that doping has no place in South African rugby at any level. Their message was blunt and unanimous — this behaviour is unacceptable.

Pratt's positive test lands at the worst possible time for the Junior Boks programme, with the Springbok system under intense scrutiny over its player development pipeline. A prop testing positive for performance-enhancing substances does lasting damage — not just to his own career, but to the credibility of every young player coming through the ranks cleanly.

De Villiers, Burger and Shimange carry the weight of Springbok history behind their words. These are men who earned their green and gold through relentless hard work, and their collective disgust at a shortcut mentality reflects exactly the standards the programme demands.

The case now moves through the formal anti-doping process. Pratt faces a potential ban and a career derailed before it properly began. Whether he can recover from this — professionally and reputationally — remains to be seen, but the verdict from South African rugby's elder statesmen is already in.