Spain kicked out of Rugby World Cup for second time and slapped with huge fine amid allegations over forged passport

Spain have been kicked out of the Rugby World Cup for the second successive tournament for fielding an ineligible player during their qualification campaign. In a further twist, the player in question has been accused of possessing an allegedly forged passport in order to play for the country on residency.

Spain had made it through to the World Cup finals for the first time since 1999 by finishing second, behind Georgia, in the Rugby Europe Championship standings. They were due to play in Pool B alongside holders South Africa, Scotland, Ireland and an Asia/Pacific qualifier in France next autumn.

But now they have been booted out over an eligibility issue just as happened ahead of the 2019 tournament in Japan. Romania, who finished third in the Rugby Europe Championship, will take their place in Pool B. It was the Romanian Rugby Union that had filed a complaint against the Spanish, alleging they had used an illegible player, South African-born prop Gavin Van den Berg, during qualifying and a verdict has now been reached.

The statement from World Rugby reads: "An independent judicial committee considering a potential breach of Regulation 8 (eligibility for a national team) has determined that Spain fielded an ineligible player during two Rugby World Cup 2023 qualification matches and has imposed a 10-point deduction and a financial sanction.

"In respect of the sanction, the independent committee, comprising Nigel Hampton QC (Chair), Pamela Woodman and Frank Hadden, imposed the following: The deduction of five points for each of the two matches in which the ineligible player was fielded by the Spanish union (10 points in total). The committee imposed the fixed sanction of £25,000 and noted that a suspended sanction of