Kiwis rule out appeal over docked points
New Zealand Rugby League have apologised for fielding an ineligible player and confirmed they will not appeal the two-point Tri-Nations penalty imposed yesterday.
New Zealand were stripped of the two points earned by Saturday’s 18-14 win over Great Britain in Christchurch after a tribunal determined that hooker Nathan Fien was ineligible to play for the home side.
The Rugby League International Federation (RLIF) hearing also banned Fien from playing for the Kiwis after it was revealed his only genetic connection to New Zealand is that his great grandmother was born in Wanganui.
An NZRL statement said: “The NZRL accepts the decision of the Tri-Nations Sub-Committee that found that the NZRL fielded an ineligible player in the Gillette 2006 Tri-Nations Tournament.
“The determination of the Committee is that neither New Zealand nor Great Britain takes any points out of the match between them on October 28.
“The points scored by both teams in that match are expunged from the tournament but remain for the international record of the players.
“The NZRL regrets the error it made and sincerely apologises to all the players, teams, fans, clubs and stakeholders.
“The NZRL accepts it made an error. Nathan Fien acted honestly at all times in his disclosures to the NZRL. Accordingly, Nathan Fien had no charge to answer; nor did any other person. The NZRL regrets any hurt suffered by Nathan and his family.
“The NZRL confirms that it will not challenge the decision. Nathan Fien will take no further part in the tournament.”
The Warriors hooker has already left the New Zealand squad and is heading to Queensland.
The decision means Australia are already through to the final of the tournament, having grabbed four points, while Great Britain and New Zealand have none, the result of last Saturday’s encounter having effectively been annulled.
The committee which ruled on Fien’s eligibility consisted of Australia’s Colin Love (chairman), New Zealand Rugby League’s Selwyn Bennett, Rugby Football League executive chairman Richard Lewis and National Rugby League chief executive David Gallop.
The rules state that a player can only claim eligibility to play via their ’grandparents’, and as such the NZRL had breached the rules.
The NZRL knew of Fien’s eligibility problems on October 19, two days before the second clash with the Kangaroos in Melbourne.
But they thought he would fine to play and he took his place in the games in Melbourne and Christchurch.
Love described the hearing as “one of the darkest days” in his time in charge of the ARL.
