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RUGBY

Spain miss out on Rugby World Cup after appeal rejected

Spain will not figure at next year's Rugby World Cup in France after their appeal against disqualification for fielding an ineligible player during qualifying was rejected, World Rugby announced on Monday.

Published: 27 June 2022 15:54 CEST
rugby world cup spain
It is the second time that Spain have missed out on World Cup qualification on these grounds. (Photo by LAURIE DIEFFEMBACQ / BELGA / AFP)

After examining new evidence brought by the Spanish federation, an independent appeal committee “dismissed the appeal”, World Rugby said in a statement.

“In accordance with World Rugby rules, the decision of the independent appeal committee is final and cannot be appealed again,” it added.

The ruling confirmed that Romania will take Spain’s place at next year’s tournament while Portugal — the team Spain beat to seal their place at France 2023 — have taken the spot vacated by Romania in the final qualification event taking place in November.

South African-born prop Gavin van den Berg, who has been playing in Spain since 2018, featured in two qualifiers against the Netherlands in 2020 and 2021 but was deemed not to have served the three years of residency needed to become eligible under World Rugby rules.

It is the second time that Spain have missed out on World Cup qualification on these grounds.

In 2018, along with Romania and Belgium, they were were sanctioned for fielding ineligible players, paving the way for Russia to qualify for the 2019 World Cup in Japan.

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FOOTBALL

Vinicius says Spain should lose 2030 World Cup unless racism declines

Brazilian striker Vinicius Junior has called for Spain to be stripped of its 2030 World Cup hosting duties unless it makes progress on the issue of racism in stadiums.

Published: 5 September 2024 14:54 CEST
Vinicius says Spain should lose 2030 World Cup unless racism declines

The Real Madrid star, who has repeatedly been the victim of racist abuse from opposition fans at La Liga matches, said during an interview broadcast on CNN on Tuesday that more needed to be done to change attitudes in Spanish society.

“Until 2030, there is a lot of room for improvement, so I hope that Spain can evolve and understand how serious it is to insult someone because of the colour of their skin,” the 24-year-old striker said.

“If by 2030 things don’t improve, I think we have to move the location because if a player doesn’t feel comfortable and safe playing in a country where they can suffer racism, it’s a bit difficult.”

His comments caused an uproar in Spain, which will host the 2030 World Cup alongside Portugal and Morocco, with three matches also taking place in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.

“Spain is in no way a racist country,” Vinicius’s Real Madrid teammate Dani Carvajal told a news conference on Wednesday, adding Spain “does not deserve to be deprived of the World Cup”.

“I know what Vinicius has to put up with but La Liga is improving and protocols are being drawn up so that these people can no longer take part in sporting events,” the defender said.

Spain national team coach Luis de la Fuente agreed with Carvajal.

“There are always undesirables but Spain is not racist, it is an example of coexistence and integration,” he said.

Madrid’s conservative mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida condemned Vinicius’s comments, calling them “deeply unfair”, and said he should apologise.

A Spanish court in June handed three Valencia fans eight-month jail terms for racist abuse towards Vinicius Junior at a La Liga match last year, the first such conviction in Spain.

In July, another person was given an eight-month suspended jail term for online racist abuse targeting Vinicius and his German Real Madrid teammate Antonio Rudiger.

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