SPAIN HAVE BEEN thrown out of the 2023 Rugby World Cup for fielding an ineligible player during the qualifying stages and will be replaced by Romania, World Rugby announced on Thursday.
“Subject to Spain’s right of appeal, the 10-point deduction applied to the Rugby World Cup 2023 qualification table means that Romania will qualify as Europe 2 into Pool B replacing Spain,” read the statement.
Portugal — who Spain beat to seal their place in the global showpiece in France next year — replace Romania in the Final Qualification Tournament taking place in November 2022.
“Spain has a right of appeal within 14 days of the date of the full written decision of the committee,” read the statement.
According to Spanish media in March, the player under investigation was South African-born prop Gavin van den Berg, who has been playing in Spain since 2018.
He played twice against the Netherlands, in 2020 and 2021, in qualifiers, but he may not seemingly have served the three years of residency needed to become eligible under World Rugby rules.
Spain, Romania and Belgium were all sanctioned in 2018 for having fielded ineligible players, opening the way for Russia to qualify for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.
Really feel for Spain here, apparently the player falsified his info, and the team got burnt for it.
Real shame as they play exciting rugby. Portugal has now been added to the repechage tournament, so hopefully they can get a spot.
@Aaron Tynan: did he falsify it under instruction though? I do feel for them though, because of 2 reasons but not that because we simply do not know…
1. The 2 matches that he played in were done and dusted, up over 30 points already against Holland when he came off the bench for them so whether he played or not Romania would not have got there regardless and so Romania would’ve had no right to be at the next RWC anyway and….
2. He would’ve been able to fulfill his residency 3yrs if Covid hadn’t intervened and with restrictions he got stuck in RSA for longer than planned and didn’t satisfy the rules for residency… Covid, making a stinker in rugby once again…
@SPQH: just to be sure of myself looked them up again, the 2 matches ended 52-7 and 43-0 vs the Netherlands. Gotta feel for the Spanish players, and maybe even this South African if it wasn’t his idea to falsify.
Is this Ed Sheeran’s fault again?
That’s a real shame they’ve made a hash out of it two world cups in a row. Would’ve been nice to have some different faces at a rugby world cup. You’d have to wonder at the sheer incompetence of it all