Springbok star Elton Jantjies has opened up about being “hounded by gangsters”, saying it was a scary experience forced him to relocate to Japan.
Elton has made the headlines for all the wrong reasons lately – he was caught jolling behind his wife Iva Ristic’s back with the national team’s dietician Zeenat Simjee last year.
Most recently, the 33-year-old father of three tested positive for a banned substance – Clenbuterol – and he now faces a potential ban from the game.
The father of three tested positive for Clenbuterol – a banned anabolic agent, but also a substance used for treating asthma, burning fat and increasing stamina.
“The whole media has made requests for me to speak about last year and I never have. I want to say it as it is. That’s how I do things. I don’t want to hide away. Certain things have happened,” he said in an interview with MailSport.
In December 2022, Elton alleged that his former agent sent skollies to collect outstanding money.
“There was one specific voice-note I received which I’ll never forget,” he said. “The guy said, ‘We will go and f***ing take his rugby boots’.
“It was scary. With threats like that you have to be careful with your movements, especially in a place like Johannesburg.
“I contacted a few friends for protection. Now I’ve got bodyguards and security who can always be at my house if I need it.”
In a bid to stay safe, the former Lions pivot then rejoined Japanese side Shining Arcs.
He claimed he didn’t know he was liable to pay his agent from his salary in the first year. This only came to light after he tried to separate from his agent.
“I had to pay it just like that with no planning. That shook me a little bit,” Elton explained.
“It didn’t sit well with me. I wanted to work out exactly how much money it was, why I was told so late, and how come it had all of a sudden come up now and not earlier.
“It’s not easy to pay someone £20 000 [R482 528] just like that. That’s something you have to plan.
“As a professional sportsman you get a lot of money, but you also have certain things where your money goes. You still live off a budget. We all have families and responsibilities.
“For me, it was a matter of principle. It wasn’t about the money. I’d always been honest and open with him.”
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Elton and his rugby career and what sort of punishment he will face for his positive doping test.
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