Spain out of the World Cup

[tabascoboy]

Again!



Pool C:
South Africa
Ireland
Scotland
Romania
Asia/Pacific 1

Spain have been kicked out of the men's Rugby World Cup for the second successive tournament after being found to have fielded an ineligible player during their qualification campaign, with the player in question accused of possessing an allegedly forged passport used to qualify to play for Spain on residency....

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union ... le-player/

[Uncle fester]

What a pack of dopes.

[inactionman]

Forged passport??

As long as they've done due diligence, is that actually their fault or responsiblity?

(telegraph article behind paywall so not sure if it's elaborated any further)

[tabascoboy]

In this case, neither the Spain Rugby Union nor World Rugby initially spotted the forgery and Spain were given clearance to field the player.

After the oral hearing held this Thursday, April 28, with the independent judicial committee appointed by World Rugby to study the claim of the Romanian Rugby Federation (FRR) on the eligibility of Gavin Van den Berg , the highest body in world rugby has decided to penalize Spain with 25,000 pounds and deduct five points for each of the two games in which this player was lined up.

While waiting for World Rugby to make the ruling official, this decision means disqualification from the 2023 World Cup in France , a competition for which the XV del León had qualified directly by finishing second in the 2021-2022 Rugby Europe Championship .

As this very harsh sanction occurs as a result of an alleged forgery of the aforementioned player's passport, the Spanish Rugby Federation (FER) continues with the extraordinary disciplinary procedure initiated at the time and will shortly call a press conference to offer all the explanations that are required.

[Paddington Bear]

Jesus - two tournaments running. Both chances gone for a lot of their players.

[tabascoboy]

Well what I read is that the player's club rushed through his registration to beat the impending 5 year residency capture rule. The passport was "lost" and a photocopy sent to the Spain Rugby Union but the entrance dates to the country was altered so that it didn't reveal that the length of his residence had actually been broken by a long spell in South Africa. So, the Union accepted the photocopy without knowing it had been forged and World Rugby then greenlit it as well.

Now it's all come to light, although Spain should have been more alert to this dodgy looking application you could argue that World Rugby were also somewhat lax initially.

[sockwithaticket]

It feels incredibly harsh to sanction Spain in this way when World Rugby were given a chance to look at the player's documentation and didn't spot anything awry. Suggests it's not something the union should be expected to catch either (assuming they were looking...).

[tabascoboy]

I'm not sure that World Rugby get to see the original documentation TBH, but they were presumably satisfied at the time that Spain had performed all reasonable checks for eligibility.

It is an anomaly that if the player had spent a few months of the residency qualification period in an EU country such as Italy rather than South Africa there would be no way to prove or disprove it due to the freedom of movement within the EU and no passport stamps required.

World Rugby's get out is that the national unions take the full responsibility for ensuring eligibility, but it does make you wonder exactly what system they have in place for verification if they simply rubber stamp the registrations.

[tabascoboy]

It feels incredibly harsh to sanction Spain in this way when World Rugby were given a chance to look at the player's documentation and didn't spot anything awry. Suggests it's not something the union should be expected to catch either (assuming they were looking...).

I bet it was a denunciation, tip-off from the FRR.

Word is that it was actually the Portuguese Union President - they do benefit now by taking the place of Romania in the repechages

[Torquemada 1420]

Should that not say "AGAIN"?

Done for cheating once more. This from the nation of serial cheats: 1982 and the Disabled Olympics basketball team where none of the players was disabled being more examples.

[Torquemada 1420]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union ... ort-world/

Spain's Rugby World Cup expulsion due to tampered passport

[Fonz]

It feels incredibly harsh to sanction Spain in this way when World Rugby were given a chance to look at the player's documentation and didn't spot anything awry. Suggests it's not something the union should be expected to catch either (assuming they were looking...).

I agree. I suppose rules are rules but I'm not sure you can really blame the Spanish RU for this. These people literally forged a passport.

[tabascoboy]

Rugby World Cup: Spain lose appeal against disqualification from 2023 tournament

Spain's appeal against their disqualification from the 2023 Rugby World Cup has been dismissed.

They clinched a World Cup spot for the first time in 24 years in March, but were later stripped of their place after World Rugby deemed they used an ineligible player - Gavin van den Berg - during qualification.

It is the second successive World Cup at which Spain have lost their place, both times for the same offence.

They will be replaced by Romania.

"The Independent Appeal Committee reviewed the original decision of the Independent Judicial Committee based on the evidence that was before it," World Rugby said

"Having considered detailed submissions from the Spanish Union and World Rugby, the Independent Appeal Committee dismissed the appeal."

Spain were given a £25,000 fine and will also have to pay a £50,000 suspended fine from a previous eligibility breach made in qualifying for the 2019 World Cup.

With Romania taking Spain's place in Pool B, Portugal can now secure their place through a final qualification tournament in November.

The World Cup takes place in France from 8 September-28 October 2023.

[Kawazaki]

I personally think Spain have been shafted and treated very harshly.