Pain in Spain - again!

It would appear that Spain, for the second Rugby World Cup running, have been kicked out of the competition, having been found guilty of breaching player eligibility laws by selecting South African prop Gavin van den Berg in two Rugby Europe Championship matches against the Netherlands. 

Consequently the 10 points earned from Spain’s victories over the Netherlands have been removed from the Rugby Europe Championship table and Romania will now take Spain’s place at Rugby World Cup 2023.

It turns out that van den Berg was not eligible to play for Spain, having not completed the requirements of three years consecutive residency and, although cleared to play by both the Spanish national federation (FER) and World Rugby, it seems that such clearances were made based on false documentation provided by the player and his club Alcobendas. 

Which, as effectively the victims of fraud, all seems a little bit harsh on the Spanish, doesn’t it?

Total Flanker – the older I get, the better I was