Gloucester escape threat to place in European Challenge Cup final
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Version 0 of 1. Gloucester’s place in next week’s European Challenge Cup final against Edinburgh is not under threat even though they have been charged with playing the Argentina second-row Mariano Galarza against Sale in the Premiership last month when he was not properly registered with the club. Under the rules for Europe, if a player appears in one of the two tournaments while his club registration breaches regulations he is deemed ineligible. Galarza, who was out of action for five months after joining Gloucester in October because of a shoulder injury, started last Saturday’s European Challenge Cup semi-final against Exeter at Kingsholm, but the registration issue had by then been resolved. Galarza played against Harlequins in the Premiership round after Sale on 29 March and the week before, but as Gloucester have not been charged by the Rugby Football Union over that appearance, the RFU is satisfied the problem with his registration – believed to be related to a match he played for a junior club to prove his fitness – had by then been sorted out. On Monday a three-man independent disciplinary panel will consider the charge laid by the RFU that Gloucester played Galarza, who came off the bench 53 minutes into the match in Salford, “while he did not hold effective registration” for the club. A guilty verdict would probably result in a one-point deduction from their Premiership tally, a sanction that would not have a material effect as they are not in the running for a place in the top six. The real fear for Gloucester’s supporters was that any punishment could have an impact on the Challenge Cup final, which is being held at The Stoop on Friday 1 May, and result in the club being thrown out. But while the European authorities were speaking to officials at Twickenham on Friday afternoon to seek clarification, the message was that the matter had been resolved before the semi-final against Exeter. Gloucester’s final is on the eve of the Champions Cup final over the road at Twickenham between Toulon and Clermont Auvergne. Toulon, who are looking to become the first side to win the tournament three years in a row, announced on Friday that they had signed the Australia outside-half Quade Cooper on a two-year contract, but that was disputed by the side he currently plays for, Queensland Reds. Toulon announced Cooper’s signing on their Facebook page, together with a picture of Cooper, who had been in France at the start of the week, in a club jersey, but the Reds’ chief executive, Jim Carmichael, who had lunch with the player in Brisbane a few hours earlier, said the French club, who earlier in the week had denied reports they were about to sign the Ireland captain, Paul O’Connell, had been premature. “I had a great lunch with Quade and am very happy that the time allowed us to get close to a position that satisfies us both,” said Carmichael. “There is more conversation to be had and this is the last time I’m commenting on this until our discussions are concluded.” Cooper’s agent, Khoder Nasser, confirmed that the 27-year-old had still to make up his mind. “Quade will make his call over the next couple of weeks,” he said. “He is deciphering the new rule about overseas players being able to play for the Wallabies and he will then make his decision.” |