Spain has been excluded from Rugby World Cup 2023 in France. This was announced by the world association World Rugby on Thursday.
The Iberians had used an ineligible player in qualifying. Coach Santiago Santos’ team is replaced by Romania. The Spaniards have two weeks to appeal.
Spain, who had finished second in the Championship, suffered a ten-point deduction for infringing the rules, dropping two places.
Portugal is thus playing for the last World Cup ticket in third place in the final qualifying tournament in November.
Spain, Romania and Belgium were already sanctioned four years ago for using ineligible professionals.
Due to the point deduction of the competitors, the German national team played in the play-off for participation in the 2019 World Cup in Japan and failed.