Rugby: Two South Africa players sent home after failing drugs tests

SOUTH African rugby was today rocked by a drugs scandal as the build-up began to Saturday's Autumn Test with Scotland at Murrayfield.

• Chiliboy Ralepelle and Bjorn Basson have been suspended after failing random drugs tests during South Africa's tour of Britain and Ireland.

Two players - hooker Chiliboy Ralepelle and winger Bjorn Basson - have been provisionally suspended after testing positive for the stimulant methylhexaneamine following random drugs tests after their victory over Ireland on November 6, the South African Rugby Union said in a statement.

Both players, who appeared in the win over Wales on Saturday, have the right to have their "B samples" tested.

Methylhexaneamine, which has been used by sprinters in athletics, is listed on the World Anti-Doping Agency's banned list as a "non-specified stimulant" and is due to be reclassified as a "specified stimulant" from January 1 2011.

'Non-specified' means there are no concessions in the WADA code for unintended use.

Present in some nasal decongestants, Methylhexaneamine wasthe substance that led to Nigeria's Osayemi Oludamola being stripped of her 100 metres gold medal at the Delhi Commonwealth Games last month.

Six Nations Rugby Limited has confirmed the findings that following random in-competition anti-doping testing during the Autumn Internationals.