Spain cite eligibility 'inconsistencies' with Irish and Scottish players

In a bid to appeal their ban from the 2023 RWC, Spain are planning to cite Irish internationals James Lowe and Bundee Aki, as well as Scotland prop Pierre Schoeman as cases of players with eligibility issues who have turned out for their adopted countries regardless. 

The ban was recently imposed on Spain after it was found that one of their players, South African-born Gavin van den Berg, was ineligible to represent them on the international stage. 

Spain’s appeal pertains to Guideline 15 in the verdict of Van den Berg's initial hearing, in which the judicial committee stated that international teams “must be able to demonstrate the country in which [a player] has been Resident was, genuinely, the country that the Player treated as his home and is clearly the country in which the Player has his primary and permanent home”. 

In light of this, Spain claim that the above-mentioned players were technically ineligible to represent Ireland and Scotland respectively, yet were allowed to do so and, therefore, van den Berg should not be barred. 

World Rugby has stated that it did not wish to comment due to the ongoing appeal process.