Spain on Friday appealed the International Rugby Federation’s decision to exclude the country from the 2023 World Cup in France for fielding an ineligible player during qualifying, World Rugby announced.
The South African pillar Gavin van den Berg had been aligned twice against the Netherlands (victories 43-0 in 2020 and 52-7 in 2021), during Tournament B, qualifying for the World Cup. But he would not have completed the three years of presence in Spain without interruption of more than 60 days necessary to be eligible, according to World Rugby regulations.
At the end of April, an independent judicial commission had imposed a fine of 25,000 pounds (nearly 30,000 euros), a deduction of five points and therefore the exclusion of the country from the World Cup.
According to the press release released Friday by World Rugby, Spain “has appealed” this decision and an “independent committee” will be in charge of examining this appeal. The hearing date has not yet been confirmed.
A few days after the decision of the international rugby body, Alfonso Feijoo, president of the Spanish Rugby Federation (FER) announced that he would submit his resignation. “I will resign, but not before the disciplinary procedures initiated are well advanced, to prevent the future leaders of Spanish rugby from suspending or canceling them without the approval of the assembly,” he said.
The FER had notably opened extraordinary disciplinary proceedings against the Alcobendas club, that of Gavin van den Berg. According to her, the club had “been aware of a possible modification of an official document which granted the status of eligible player to Gavin Van den Berg”.
For their part, the players of the XV of the Lion showed their dissatisfaction: “We wish to communicate our disgust, our anger, and to distance ourselves from the leaders who have only twice ruined our participation in the World Cup”, have writes the players.
The decision to exclude Spain paves the way for participation in the 2023 World Cup for Romania, which had appealed to the International Federation. Portugal will be able to take part in the final qualifying tournament organized in November 2022 in place of Romania.
