Chiliboy Ralepelle has reportedly failed a drug test for the second time in his career.
The Toulouse and Springbok hooker, who is recovering from a knee injury sustained in February, is said to have been controlled on March 19 and tested positive for Drostanalone, an anabolic steroid often used in bodybuilding.
If found guilty, he faces a two-year suspension.
“For now, I insist on the fact that Chiliboy is presumed innocent,” said Toulouse president René Bouscatel.
“Moreover, I cannot sanction a player if there is no final judgment. But if it turns out he knowingly took illegal substances, we would be intransigent.”
This is also not the first time Ralepelle has been tested positive, after he and Springbok team-mate Bjorn Basson were found to have a banned substance – methylhexanamine – in their system during South Africa's November tour in 2010.
Both were cleared by the South African Rugby Union after it was found that the stimulant was in a supplement given to the players.
