This decision, subject to appeal for a period of two weeks, 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.
In a separate press release and published shortly before the officialization of the decision of the International Federation, the Spanish Federation (FER), which does not mention its wish or not to appeal, specified that the player concerned was the pillar South African Gavin van den Berg.
A forged document
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-2023. 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.
According to the online edition of the daily Marca, the player has since his debut in Spain in 2018 made stays in South Africa that exceed what is allowed and presented to the FER a document with a falsified customs stamp to hide it. .
The independent committee mandated by the International Federation to study this case sanctioned Spain with a withdrawal of five points for each of the matches in which Gavin van den Berg took part, as well as a fine of 25,000 pounds (nearly €30,000). The stay that had been granted for a previous fine of 50,000 pounds imposed for the same reasons on Spain in 2019 has been lifted, resulting in the obligation to pay this sum as well.
In 2018, Spain, Romania and Belgium had already been sanctioned for using ineligible players, allowing Russia to participate in the 2019 World Cup in Japan.