Former Springboks fly-half Elton Jantjies has taken up a coaching role with youth rugby programme Rugga Schools in Johannesburg as he serves his four-year suspension for banned substances.
Jantjies, who won the 2019 Rugby World Cup, tested positive last year for Clenbuterol and received a four-year ban from January as a result which effectively ends the fly-half’s professional career.
The doping issue followed several other scandals involving the former Lions man including incidents damaging an aeroplane in flight before a well-publicised alleged affair with a Springbok team dietician in 2022.
Giving back
The 33-year-old confirmed the coaching news on his social media explaining that he wanted to use his time to give back to the game.
“I am joining the Rugga School as a kicking coach and the new attack coach. I am really looking forward to the opportunity and can’t wait to share my experience and my knowledge with the kids… That’s our next generation,” Jantjies wrote on social media.
“I have been thinking a lot about the new opportunity that occurred, joining the Rugga Schools. It’s something I had intended to do after rugby, but it’s clear that now that I have some time to organize my belongings, I can utilize this time to work with the Rugga School.
Even if the last several years of his career may not have gone as planned, Jantjies will be a valuable addition to the Rugga Schools system because of his extensive elite level expertise with the Springboks and his over 1,000 Super Rugby points for the Lions.
Not only has Jantjies encountered difficulties with prohibited substances, but Aphiwe Dyantyi, a former Springbok, and Hendre Stassen, a lock for the Stormers, have also returned from lengthy suspensions.
