Rugby World Cup 2023: South Africa appeal WADA decision
South Africa: the sports ministry has appealed against WADA's sanction, which would have forced the team to play under a neutral banner and without an anthem
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The Springboks (spelled "Sprinkboks" in the source) were facing sanctions because their sports legislation does not comply with the World Anti-Doping Code. To head off the sanctions, the country's sports minister says he is appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the decision of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). For all of the country's athletes, the penalties on the table were a ban on wearing their jerseys, a ban on raising their flag and no playing of their national anthem. The immediate concern was how this would apply to the match against France this Sunday, 15 October, at the Rugby World Cup.
To avoid that, they had until this Friday to bring their legislation into line with WADA's new World Anti-Doping Code, or face sanctions. Given the timescale, it was almost certain that Pretoria would not be able to meet the deadline.
Read more on the same subject: Rugby World Cup 2023: South Africa without anthem or flag?
Sports minister lodges appeal
The Ministry of Sport has therefore lodged an appeal with CAS in Lausanne (Switzerland) against WADA's decision. The appeal aims to "delay" the effects of WADA's decision and so spare the country major embarrassment. "This means that the display of the South African flag at events such as the cricket and rugby World Cups will not be affected until CAS has ruled on the matter", said sports minister Zizi Kodwa.
In his view, the sanction handed down is unsuitable: "I believe the grounds for the appeal are strong and that the sanctions are not appropriate. The sanction banning the raising of the national flag has caused needless hysteria and unfairly punished the athletes and players."
As a reminder, WADA's new code came into force in 2021, and only South Africa and Bermuda have yet to bring their national legislation into compliance, according to the anti-doping organisation based in Montreal.
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