Probe on Spanish shocker
WORLD Rugby are to set up a disputes committee to examine Spain’s controversial defeat by Belgium last month, the global governing body said yesterday as it revealed it was “deeply concerned” by events at the World Cup qualifier.
Victory for Spain would have given them an automatic place at next year’s World Cup in Japan but they suffered an upset 18- 10 defeat by Belgium in Brussels in a Rugby Europe Championship match that also doubled as a qualifier for the global showpiece event.
Prior to the match, Spain had objected to the appointment of an all Romanian match officiating team as they knew that their defeat would send Romania directly to Japan 2019 instead.
At the final whistle, referee Vlad Iordachescu was surrounded by outraged Spanish players.
Concerns were also raised by the fact Octavian Morariu, the president of Rugby Europe – the organisation that oversaw the appointment of the match officials and rejected Spain’s plea for a different referee and touch judges – is himself Romanian.
“World Rugby was deeply concerned about the circumstances surrounding the Belgium versus Spain Rugby Europe Championship match …,” said a statement issued from its Dublin headquarters.
The statement added Rugby Europe had appointed a separate panel to consider the conduct of players following the final whistle when angry members of the Spain team confronted Iordachescu.