Disgraced Springboks playmaker Elton Jantjies has opened up on how he has reinvented himself since he received a four-year suspension for using banned substances.
The 34-year-old’s career is effectively over after he tested positive for Clenbuterol, a drug that many bodybuilders use to cut weight and increase muscle mass, in June 2023.
Jantjies made 46 Test appearances for South Africa and also represented the Lions and Stormers at Super Rugby level while also having stints with French and Japanese clubs during a 13-year career as a professional rugby player.
The fly-half was handed a four-year sanction by the SA Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS) in August 2023. His suspension followed several other scandals in which he was involved, including an incident of damaging an aeroplane in flight before a well-publicised alleged affair with a Springbok team dietician in 2022.
At the time of his doping sanction, Jantjies vowed to prove his innocence after a statement confirmed his positive test for the banned substance. However, he has failed to do that and has subsequently taken up a coaching role with youth rugby programme Rugga Schools in Johannesburg.
‘Very busy in terms of my own individual development’
Speaking on the Behind The Ruck podcast, Jantjies was asked what he has been up to to keep him busy since his suspension and said: “Depends what you say is good and what is bad. I’m very busy in terms of my own individual development. Staying fit and healthy, you know.
“That is one of my biggest things since my dad, you know, since I was a bit overweight (as a youngster) and chubby and stuff like that.
“So those are things that was instilled in me at that age. So I just continued doing it over the years.
“And it keeps me happy and keeps me at peace, you know. Being in shape. And not that I’m in good shape, I don’t know.
“But you know, just from a psychological point of view as well. I mean, if a lot of guys were in my position, they probably would have shot themselves or committed suicide. Or they would have gone off the rails, you know.
“But I just keep doing what I’m doing. What makes me healthy and puts me at peace. And where everybody smiles.”
Jantjies admitted that a healthy lifestyle is some sort of mental therapy for him that contributes to positivity in his life.
“Definitely. Because I think… normally, when you look at things like that, you laugh at it. When you see (things on) social media or when people go to certain places to find it,” he said.
“For example, there’s Tyson Fury. There’s Mike Tyson. There’s big sportsmen. Big sportsmen that use the training for their mindset.
“And for me personally, I think it’s therapy. I think it’s good medicine. And it’s my medicine is to train and not even think about the rugby side.
“But just keep on doing, staying healthy and fit.”
The 2019 Rugby World Cup winner revealed that he also shares the methods from his personal training in his coaching role with the youth.
Keen to ‘inspire the other younger players’
“Hopefully I can inspire the other younger players that I’m working with,” he said. “It’s something that I’ve been thinking of throughout my whole career.
“It’s something my dad started many, many years ago when he was coaching. It’s a door that he wanted me to open when I finished playing rugby or at the end of my career.
“But God worked it like in this way that he gave me time to actually do what my dad wanted me to do. I’m really enjoying it. And hopefully through my actions, I can lead the younger generation.”
Jantjies expanded on his current coaching role saying he is focusing on one-on-one sessions with players aimed at personal development.
“My programme is an individual programme. Individual development. Very specific towards a player. It’s not having just fly-halves or just playmakers or just having locks and stuff like that,” he explained.
“It’s very individual orientated. And just to see where the lightie (youngster) is. And just to progress his abilities, you know.
“I’m looking at things that coaches don’t have time for. There’s a big gap. Yeah, individual development.
” And to add more rugby to his playing career, it’s not going to help. (7:25) There’s a big gap for me personally now that I’ve got more time.
“And that I’m involved with schools, involved with clubs, and involved with the professional players from others’ point of view.
“The gap is just too big for people to develop. Because if you work in a team environment, the coaches focus on the same players and stuff.
“There’s 50 players. And there’s not time for you to develop and to excel and to reach your full potential.
“That’s what I believe. (8:00) And that is something that I was doing during my career. I made sure that I’ve got a team outside of the game.”
“And you’re wondering why do I recover quicker? (8:09) How do I return quicker to an injury, from an injury, major injuries. And then I was recovering in two weeks or three weeks.”
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Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/a-lot-of-guys-in-my-position-would-have-shot-themselves-elton-jantjies-provides-honest-assessment-on-psychological-issues
