Former Springbok hooker Chiliboy Ralepelle has officially confirmed that he will be appealing his eight-year ban for doping.

Ralepelle was on Wednesday handed the ban by an independent doping tribunal panel after he tested positive for a banned anabolic substance – Zeranol – during an out-of-competition test last year.

The 33-year-old confirmed to Sport24 that he was going to use the 21-day period in which to appeal his sentence.

‘My legal team and I are busy analysing the legal grounds,’ Ralepelle said. ‘We are going to use the 21 days so that we can appeal.’

Ralepelle’s lawyer on Wednesday said that there were grounds that the ban could be reduced by four years. The player himself has, however, already hinted that his rugby career could be over.

Back in 2015, Ralepelle was suspended for two years for a doping offence. This dated back to an out-of-competition doping control test taken the year before, when he was recovering from anterior cruciate ligament surgery following a knee injury he had sustained while playing for Toulouse against Biarritz in France.

In 2010, Ralepelle and fellow Bok Bjorn Basson also tested positive for methylhexanamine, but were found to not be at fault, as the substance was apparently contained in Springbok-approved supplements.

Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images