Belgium vs Spain Decision Postponed for a Second Time

Rugby Europe has postponed their decision over Belgium vs Spain for a second time, the FER have reported.

The Federación Española de Rugby (FER) released the following announcement on their website this morning:

The meeting with the Rugby Europe Executive Committee, among which is the president of the Federación Española de Rugby (FER), Alfonso Feijóo, and which was scheduled for Thursday March 29 via a conference call to resolve the complaint made by the FER to replay the Belgium vs Spain match, has been postponed until next week, yet no date or time has been established.

The reason given by Rugby Europe for the postponement is that it wants to gather more information before making a decision.

Spain lost a RWC qualifier against Belgium earlier this month. Los Leones needed a win to book their place in RWC 2019. In losing Romania instead qualified. The referee and both assistant referees for the match in question are Romanians.

On February 19 Spain had requested that different referees be assigned to the match. Rugby Europe denied the request. Also denied was a TMO. The match saw Spain receiving a notably higher number of penalties than Belgium and unusually more than in prior fixtures.

The integrity of both World Rugby and Rugby Europe was seriously brought into question. It was a Dark Day for Rugby. Yet the very predicament should never have been allowed to have happened. Spain’s official complaint detailed their unhappiness of what transpired.

The spillover effects many more than just Spain. It has since been confirmed that Belgium fielded ineligible players in their RWC qualifier against Germany. Indications are that Spain became aware of this and notified officials in Brussels ahead of their match against Belgium.

If Belgium are found guilty, which logically will be the case, then Germany are to benefit by being cleared of finishing bottom of the Rugby Europe Championship. They would thereby not need to face Portugal in the promotion – relegation fixture.

Both Russia and Romania are also directly involved. There is conclusive, undeniable evidence that Romania fielded an ineligible player throughout the qualifying series. With Tahiti’s win over the Cook Islands having been overturned by World Rugby it is the Cook Islands not Tahiti who advanced in the RWC qualifying series.

The timing of the decision against Tahiti is of note. Had authorities known what was to unfold in Europe it certainly would have been delayed.

The decision itself means that a precedent has been set. In fielding ineligible players Tahiti’s win was overturned. In fact there is another as Russia suffered the same fate in the RWC qualifying series for the 2003 tournament.

Meanwhile Russia, like Germany, is set to benefit from the Rugby Europe mess. Romania’s error in not checking Sione Faka’osilea can only mean Romania’s qualification for RWC 2019 is overruled.

Another instance of note is Guy Noves and David Smith. The former French Head Coach once named Smith on his roster only for swift World Rugby action to confirm Smith as not being eligible. The reason was that he had played for New Zealand in the Scotland 7’s in 2008. Faka’osilea played for Tonga in the Australia 7’s in 2012. Rugby Europe simply did not check his past.

In doubt is what will be the sanction? Faka’osilea was involved in not one match but many. Does this mean Romania should be disqualified altogether or that specific results should be overturned?

Spain is not yet in the clear either. There are Spanish players in doubt though their legitimacy can be interpreted unlike the above mentioned instances concerning Belgium and Romania.

In the South Pacific there is another party directly involved. Samoa will play home-and-away against Europe 2 in June. Who then is Europe 2? Spain is the country at present though it may be Russia or even Germany.

This all means that Ireland, Japan, and Scotland do not know if Romania will be in their pool for RWC 2019 or not. Tier 2 rugby was set for center stage as Romania’s qualification had them set to open the tournament.

Lastly, also awaiting the outcome is Canada. The North Americans will play three others in global repechage in November. The Rugby Europe chaos is global.