Rugby Championship 2025: South Africa v Australia

[Cauliflower Ear]

Champions Cup is the sweetest part of the deal for me, always jealous watching those games with no equivalent in SH.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

Grant Williams, Libbok

You reckon Faf and Pollard have done their dash? Or just Rassie keeping the powder dry?

Faf, damnit, IRB might have to update the Official RWC2027 site:

HOME | My Site 1

rugbyworldcup2027.wixsite.com

 

[Tomthumb]

BS. Just big people. Nothing more to it.

Steroids at 16: South Africa's schoolboy rugby scene faces a widespread doping problem

Doping in South African schoolboy rugby is casting a shadow over the whole sport. Salmon van Huyssteen's story is just one chapter.

www.bbc.com

 

[Major Tom]

When you have size but than also shredded. Suss.

 

[dru]

When living in the UK I frequently bumped into Dutch when in Europe. They are honestly 6'+ often ++. It's just in the genes. Then you bump into Afrikaners and that height seems to have built mass as well. These are obviously generalisations, but Afrikaners seem built for rugby, especially at lock.

 

[Blue]

Let's not for a moment think that this is not happening in Australia and just about everywhere else. I would not point fingers. Numerous studies in Australia highlight alarming trends. I happen to know for a fact that it is happening in English schools as well.

 

[Tomthumb]

Anyway, who do we think Joe will start at 10? Logic would suggest Donaldson but he hasn’t shown much confidence in him this year so I wouldn’t be surprised if he threw O’Connor in there

 

[Blue]

When living in the UK I frequently bumped into Dutch when in Europe. They are honestly 6'+ often ++. It's just in the genes. Then you bump into Afrikaners and that height seems to have built mass as well. These are obviously generalisations, but Afrikaners seem built for rugby, especially at lock.

Let's not for a moment think that this is not happening in Australia and just about everywhere else. I would not point fingers. Numerous studies in Australia highlight alarming trends. I happen to know for a fact that it is happening in English schools as well.

You laugh it off. Fine. If you are not too lazy, a google search will open your eyes. It is a real issue in Australia. Make no mistake.

 

[Tomthumb]

Google searches are probably not what you want to direct people to on this subject…

 

[TSR]

So wait …. Is your argument that it’s a lie and it’s all genetics or that everybody is doing it so why focus on us?

Just trying to keep up.

 

[Major Tom]

Australia’s fwd pack don’t all look like the liver king.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Could we think about starting our backs on some roofs?

 

[Dctarget]

Yeah if steroids are wide spread in Aus Rugby then we really do fucking suck.

 

[Ignoto]

BS. Just big people. Nothing more to it.

https://drugfreesport.org.za/cases/?athlete_sport=rugby

Something like 5 pages of names for people who are serving banned period for PED's in South Africa.

Here's the Australian list;

Current Sanctions | Sport Integrity Australia

This list includes the names of athletes or support personnel, the sport, ADRV (Anti-Doping Rule Violation), substance / method & current sanction applied

www.sportintegrity.gov.au

Before you ask, yes I have seen people in Australia that have been on this list. Maybe 2 or 3 in the space of 5 years.

 

[Mark Panga]

Australia’s fwd pack don’t all look like the liver king.

Agree. I think steroids are rife in Aussie schools but NOT rife in Australian Rugby. They get tested so often. At Hospital Cup/Shute Shield level and Super Rugby level. And as you say - just look at them - they’re not the poster boys for roids ! But for the rest of the developing male population the terrible social media pressure to look muscly and bulky drives normal lads to chemical means.

 

[cyclopath]

https://drugfreesport.org.za/cases/?athlete_sport=rugby

Something like 5 pages of names for people who are serving banned period for PED's in South Africa.

Here's the Australian list;

Current Sanctions | Sport Integrity Australia

This list includes the names of athletes or support personnel, the sport, ADRV (Anti-Doping Rule Violation), substance / method & current sanction applied

www.sportintegrity.gov.au

Before you ask, yes I have seen people in Australia that have been on this list. Maybe 2 or 3 in the space of 5 years.

Jeez, ChiliBoy gave it a good go!

 

[Braveheart81]

You guys are being unfair on the Springboks. They're not taking steroids as a performance enhancing drug.

It's purely recreational steroid use.

 

[Major Tom]

What about Siya Kolisi recovering from a torn ACL in like 3 months!
And not just recovering basically returned to top level rugby straight away.

 

[Wilson]

Gotta be honest here, I don't love seeing the speculation about players with otherwise clean records taking PEDs, whatever broader problems there are with them in the South African game.

 

[Braveheart81]

Gotta be honest here, I don't love seeing the speculation about players with otherwise clean records taking PEDs, whatever broader problems there are with them in the South African game.

This is fair. I've deleted my post.