Is Ospreys’ name already etched on the Heineken Cup?
For the second time in as many months, Ospreys have avoided being chucked out of the competition after the European Rugby Cup found they had “no case to answer to” over the eligibility of loan-signing Ricky Januarie.
There were fears that the Welsh region would face expulsion from this year’s Heineken Cup quarter-finals after the scrum-half signed for the club on a “two-month” contract, according to his parent South African club, the Stormers, who confirmed the deal on their official website.
Heineken Cup regulations state that any player competing in the European tournament must have a minimum three-month contract with their loanee club, but Januarie returned home after just two.
Despite this, Ospreys were adamant that the deal had covered the entire three months and proved that they’d paid him for the full duration of the short-term contract, leaving the ERC with little reason to doubt their case.
Januarie played in four of the region’s Heineken Cup group matches, and in a further two matches in the Magners League. But the ERC would have been fully aware that throwing Ospreys out of the competition would have resulted in chaos for the already-planned quarter-final fixtures.
It’s been a trying time for the club in recent weeks. Just last month, the Welsh region were almost kicked out of the Heineken Cup for a separate incident involving full-back Lee Byrne, who entered the field of play against Leicester Tigers during a crucial group match as a 16th man.
The Tigers were furious that Ospreys were not punished more severely – hardly surprising given the Guinness Premiership champion’s subsequent elimination. Instead, Ospreys escaped with a fine of €25,000; while Byrne had a two-week suspension reduced to a token fine on appeal.
However, Leicester’s ears must have perked up when they realised they had yet another chance of being reinstated into the Heineken Cup with this latest investigation, but those hopes were dashed once again yesterday.
The Welsh team’s managing director, Roger Blyth, issued a statement on the Ospreys’ official website, announcing his relief at the news.
"Having co-operated fully with ERC at all times during their investigation into this matter, and providing them with all the relevant paperwork relating to Ricky's contract and registration, we are delighted to have been informed that they have found that Ospreys Rugby has no case to answer.
"Now that we can finally put this matter behind us, we are, along with our many supporters, looking forward to our quarter-final against Biarritz in San Sebastian on Saturday 10th April."
The Magners League outfit have been somewhat fortuitous after making two major mistakes in as many months in the same competition and surviving to tell the tale.
Rest assured, after this latest scare, Ospreys will be far less inclined to take any similar risks in future.
Safe in the knowledge that their place in the last eight of the Heineken Cup is secure, Ospreys can now plan ahead for next month’s hugely-anticipated quarter-final clash against Top 14 side Biarritz at the Estadio Anoeta.
Barring a couple of accidental slip-ups, Ospreys have deserved their place in the final eight of this year’s Heineken Cup; and it would have been a crying shame if an error had led to them losing their place in the prestigious tournament.
Let’s hope that no further investigations follow off the back of their next – and most crucial - Heineken Cup fixture.
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