Trio fined over postponed games
Three clubs – Saracens, Neath and Ebbw Vale – have been fined four-figure sums after breaching European Rugby Cup regulations relating to postponed games.
Saracens and Neath have each been fined €10,000 and Ebbw Vale were hit with a €7,500 punishment.
In addition, Neath were ordered to pay €20,000, Saracens €2,000 and Ebbw Vale €17,500 compensation.
The punishments were agreed by an independently-appointed ERC disciplinary panel consisting of chairman Douglas Hunter (Scotland), Brian McLoughlin (Ireland) and Achille Reali (Italy), that met in Dublin.
Neath were deemed to not have taken adequate precautions to protect their playing surface from the elements at The Gnoll ahead of a Heineken Cup group clash against Beziers on January 11, and also failed to have an alternative venue available.
Saracens’ offence relates to their Parker Pen Challenge Cup quarter-final against Newcastle at Vicarage Road on January 12. They too, it was decided, did not take adequate precautions or have an alternative venue available.
Ebbw Vale, meanwhile, were in the dock for identical reasons, relating to a Parker Pen Shield appointment with French club Pau at Eugene Cross Park on January 11.
All three clubs were found to be in breach of a regulation in the European Rugby Cup participation agreement, signed by every competing club.
Adequate pitch protection and alternative venues in the event of a postponement were designed to avoid fixture congestion so that European games could be played on scheduled days.
ERC’s compensation claims are based on the extra travel and hotel costs incurred by teams having to stay for extra days, and the venue costs of fulfilling postponed fixtures.
