SRU Statement regarding St Boswells RFC

The Borders club fielded three ineligible players in the Bowl semi-final on Saturday 29 March against Glenrothes.

The Championship Committee, an independent panel made up of six elected representatives from the club game and an independent chairman, made its unanimous decision based on the evidence presented by St Boswells, at a hearing last night and also determined that the same competition rule had been breached in certain St Boswells matches in RBS East Regional League Division 3 and in the RBS East Regional Bowl final.

Therefore, St Boswells have been docked 13 league points, for fielding up to three ineligible players in three different league fixtures. The fixtures took place on Saturday 1 February v RDVC, Saturday 8 February v Gala YM and Saturday 15 March v RDVC.

The national competition rule that has been breached is 5.3.3. The Championship Committee’s decision was determined by national competition rule 5.5.1.

St Boswells now have a right to appeal.

The RBS Bowl Final takes place next Saturday (19 April) at Broadwood Stadium, Cumbernauld with Highland RFC confirmed finalists.

National Competition Rule 5.3.3: A dual-registered player cannot play for his lower placed club’s 1st XV in any of the last three league matches or in a national quarter-final or subsequent round of a Cup competition unless he has played in at least 50% of that club’s previous national competition matches in that same season.

National Competition Rule 5.5.1: In the event of an ineligible player being named in a match, the Championship Committee or a Regional Competitions Committee shall have the right to impose a penalty on the club being a formal reprimand and warning as to future conduct and/or the deduction of up to five league points and/or forfeit the tie and/or forfeit a proportion of the club’s participation money, as appropriate. The player concerned may also be liable to such additional penalty or suspension, as the Championship Committee considers appropriate.