Dragons lock Rynard Landman has been banned for three years Picture: Richard Huggard/Gallo Images
Veteran South African lock Rynard Landman has been banned for three years after testing positive for a banned substance after coming out of retirement to play for Welsh side Newport.
The 38-year-old forward has had an extensive career domestically and abroad. He played for Leopards, Griquas, and Cheetahs before going overseas and creating a name for himself at Welsh side Dragons for five seasons from 2014 to 2018, where he racked up 115 appearances and captained the side.
Thereafter he played at French clubs Soyaux Angoulême and Carcassonne. It was after playing for Carcassonne in France’s Pro D2 in 2023 that he hung up his boots.
However, after returning to Wales he came out of retirement last season to play for Newport, a feeder for Dragons. He also played a couple of matches this season until he was notified that a urine sample taken by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) at a training session on 8 August found traces of a banned substance.
The sample “detected the anabolic steroid, nandrolone, and its Metabolite, 19-Norandrosterone. Nandrolone is banned in sport at all times under the World Anti-Doping Agency’s prohibited list,” the UKAD revealed in a statement.
The United Kingdom’s anti-doping body said it notified Landman of his alleged anti-doping rule violations on 4 October and provisionally suspended him from the sport.
This means his start against Swansea in the Super Rygbi Cymru on 21 September will be his last professional match until 3 October 2027.
His age and the length of the break in playtime probably mean this truly is the end of his career.
“Landman admitted the asserted anti-doping rule violations and explained that he had used nandrolone between June and August 2023 (with his last use in August 2023) while retired from professional rugby union.”
An independent scientific expert was called on, determining that it was “unlikely that nandrolone would be present in a sample one year after its purported administration”.
Landman was subsequently charged for the presence and use of a prohibited substance. Thereafter, he admitted he was guilty and in accordance of anti-doping rules, the four-year period of ineligibilty was downgraded to three years.
Newport have since said they “remain dedicated to promoting clean sport and supporting our players in making informed, ethical decisions”.
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