Ospreys fined and docked points for Ulster no-show

THE Ospreys have been fined £100,000 and docked four league points next season for breaching Magners League rules.

It relates to the postponement of their Magners League clash against Ulster in Belfast on March 19, when the Ospreys claimed they lacked sufficient front-row players to fulfil the fixture.

But a three-man Celtic Rugby disciplinary panel reached its decision following a complaint lodged by the Magners League tournament director.

“The disciplinary panel found the Ospreys breached the tournament rules, and consequently their actions amounted to misconduct,” said Celtic Rugby, in a statement.

Ospreys, who host Glasgow in a league title play-off clash tonight, have the right of appeal.

“We will now await the full written judgement before making a decision whether to appeal against the verdict,” said an Ospreys spokesperson.

The fine and points deduction continues a testing season for the star-studded Welsh regional side.

They were twice investigated by European Rugby Cup, who organise the Heineken Cup, being fined for briefly having 16 players on the pitch in their crucial Heineken Cup pool game against Leicester at the Liberty Stadium in January.

They also faced a complaint – and were subsequently cleared – that their South African scrum-half Ricky Januarie was not eligible for this season’s Heineken Cup due to the length of his loan deal from Super 14 team the Stormers.

The Ospreys would have been without five front-row players for the Ulster game, which was originally postponed in January due to bad weather.

Three were involved in Wales’ RBS 6 Nations game against Italy at the Millennium Stadium on March 20, and another two were injured.

The Ulster match eventually took place on April 13, with Ospreys winning 38-27.

Victory for the Ospreys over Glasgow would take them into the inaugural Magners League final on May 29 against Leinster or Munster, who clash in Dublin this weekend.

The disciplinary panel was chaired by Professor Lorne Crerar of Scotland and assisted by Roger Morris (Wales) and George Spotswood (Ireland).

Meanwhile, Saracens director of rugby Brendan Venter has been charged with conduct prejudicial to the interests of the game by the RFU following his side’s 32-23 Premiership win at Leicester on Saturday.

The former South Africa centre is charged with pushing a female Leicester supporter and making inappropriate comments and gestures to spectators at Welford Road.

It is not the first time the 40-year-old has found himself in hot water with the authorities. In January he was handed a four-week ban, suspended until the end of this year, for comments he made about referee David Rose after Sarries were defeated by the Tigers at Vicarage Road.