LONDON Welsh could face further punishment for the Tyson Keats registration fiasco, writes Ed Mezzetti. The Exiles were handed a five-point penalty and a £15,000 fine by the RFU in March and a further suspended five-point penalty was later removed after an appeal. Now they face a misconduct complaint from European Rugby Cup (ERC), who organise the Heineken and Amlin Challenge Cups.
They are investigating whether scrum half Keats was also incorrectly registered for the latter competition. Keats made one Amlin Challenge Cup appearance for Welsh, coming on as a second-half replacement during the defeat to Stade Francais at the Kassam Stadium on October 13. Dealt with on the basis of written submissions, the complaint will be considered by an independent disciplinary committee chaired by Antony Davies of England. Mike Scott, the former London Welsh team manager, was banned for life from rugby over his role in the Keats fiasco after he admitted supplying false information regarding the New Zealander, including a forged passport, to the RFU. Welsh have maintained they should not have been punished for the actions of one individual. Relegation to the Championship was confirmed for the Exiles on Wednesday when Newcastle Falcons secured promotion.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here