Former Springboks stars Jean de Villiers, Schalk Burger, and Hanyani Shimange have questioned whether South Africa have a doping problem after Junior Boks prop Kai Pratt was the latest player to test positive for anabolic steroids.
Previously tipped by Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus to break into the Test side soon, South Africa Under-20 player Pratt failed a drugs test in April and has since requested a B sample be tested.
In the latest The Verdict podcast, the trio criticised the young prop and the widespread use within Schoolboy rugby.
"Do we have an issue in South Africa [with anabolic steroids]? Do we have an issue? We need to sort that out. It's unacceptable," de Villiers said.
"It's not just about the individual," he stated. "It's about the entire sport and the message it sends to young fans and upcoming athletes.
"You can never, ever justify that. It begs the question; do we have an issue in South Africa? Are they looking at the long-term effects of these things when you use it? It can never, ever be acceptable."
Burger added: "There's immense pressure to perform and exceed at all levels of competitive sports, but opting for shortcuts through doping is foolish and destructive."
Meanwhile, Shimange, a player turned coach, expressed his concern for the wider image of the sport.
"When one of our own makes a choice like this, it reflects poorly on all of us. It undermines the hard work and dedication of clean athletes."
The news comes just eight weeks after Springboks prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye was banned for 18 months for a doping offence, all but ruling him out of next year's World Cup. He also became the third current or former Springboks player to be suspended for taking a prohibited substance since they retained the world title almost three years ago.
It comes after a Telegraph Sport report in March revealed a dramatic decrease in drugs tests of rugby players in South Africa, with numbers plunging sixfold in a decade.
South Africa currently holds the highest number of convicted dropers in rugby, with 89 violations between 2015 and 2025, 20% of the total worldwide.
The latest positive test has forced SA Institute for Drug-Free Sport CEO Khalid Galan to defend their drug testing system as he rejected any suggestions there is a widespread doping culture within South African rugby.
"Systemic assumes that, as was the case with Russian sport, there is alleged involvement of either the government or a governing body, such as SA Rugby, which of course insinuates complicity," he told Rapport. "However, this is not the case in South Africa. The statistics prove it."