Romania player eligibility threatens country's 2019 World Cup participation
Romania’s participation at the 2019 Rugby World Cup is in jeopardy, after a complaint from the Russian Rugby Federation over an alleged ineligible player being used in a qualifier between the sides.
Only last week Tahiti were kicked out of World Cup qualifying by World Rugby over the fielding two ineligible players.
Local media in Russia have queried the fielding of Romania centre Sione Faka’osilea, citing that the Tonga-born centre represented the country of his birth at Seven’s.
Faka’osilea, who plays his club rugby in Romania for Baia Mare, has played 13 Tests for the country, notably during the Rugby Europe Championship, which acts as a qualifying tournament for the Rugby World Cup.
“The issue was considered today at the meeting of the Board. We consider it absolutely unacceptable to blame anyone prior to a thorough investigation by the competent authorities of Rugby Europe and World Rugby, so we will send relevant inquiries to these organizations in the near future, ” said Pavel Bugrov in a statement on the Russia Rugby Federation website.
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— ????? ?????? / Rugby Russia (@RugbyRussia) March 26, 2018
On World Rugby’s website it clarifies the one-Union rule in Regulation 8.2:
“A Player is only entitled to play Rugby Union for the senior or next senior fifteen-a-side National Representative Team or the senior National Representative Sevens Team of one Union (provided that, in the case of the senior National Representative Sevens Team, for tournaments other than the Olympic Games and Rugby World Cup Sevens, the Player had reached the age of twenty on or before the date of participation representing that one Union). Accordingly, if a Player is deemed to have played in such circumstances, even if he is able to satisfy one or more of the eligibility criteria set out in Regulation 8.1, he will not be able to play for any other Union. Consistent with the overall rationale underlying the eligibility Regulations, the one Union only rule is designed to maintain the integrity of the international Game. Once a Player has committed himself to a particular Union, through participation in one of the Matches or Tours in the circumstances identified in Regulations 8.3 or 8.4, he is unable to change his “Rugby Nationality” which becomes fixed.”
Russia finished fourth in the Rugby Europe Championship to end their hopes of participating in Japan, while Romania secured an automatic spot with their second-placed finish.
However third-placed Spain have already complained to World Rugby over the controversial performance of Romanian officials during their their 18-10 qualifying defeat to Belgium, a result which directly affected Romania’s participation at the World Cup.
Rugby Europe held a conference call to discuss the Belgium v Spain game on Monday and are to meet again on Thursday.
As it stands Romania will face Ireland, Scotland, hosts Japan and the Play-Off winner in Pool A of the World Cup.
They will also play Japan in the opening match at the Toyota Stadium on 20 September, 2019.
Last week World Rugby overturned Tahiti’s 13-9 win over Cook Islands in a Rugby World Cup 2019 qualifier, due to Tahiti fielding two ineligible players, the French-born duo Guillaume Brouqui and Andoni Jimenez. Brouqui scored a try in the game, while Jimenez had kicked a penalty – but both fell foul on residency grounds, with neither player being able to prove sufficiently that they met World Rugby’s criteria.
Cook Islands will now face the winner of the Asia Rugby Championship home and away, beginning with a match in the Cook Islands on 30 June and the return leg on 7 July.
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
26 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
26 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
26 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
26 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
26 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to comments