MADRID (Reuters) - Spain have been disqualified from next year’s Rugby World Cup in France after fielding an ineligible player in two matches during the 2021-22 Rugby Europe Championship, the Spanish federation (FER) and World Rugby announced on Thursday.
Spain’s disqualification means Romania qualify automatically and Portugal go into a playoff for a place at the tournament.
Spain had secured a World Cup berth for the first time since 1999 with a 33-28 win over Portugal in March to finish second in the Rugby Europe Championship.
It was the second time they had qualified for the World Cup but World Rugby, the sport’s governing body, launched an investigation after a complaint filed by Romania, who missed out on automatic qualification after finishing just behind Spain.
According to a source close to the FER, the investigation found that the date of entry into Spain on the passport of Gavin van den Berg, who is of South African origin, had been falsified to comply with eligibility requirements.