Rugby:Ospreys have had four points reinstated in the Magners League after an independent Celtic Rugby Disciplinary Appeal Committee met in London this week to rule on the club's failure to fulfil a fixture against Ulster last season.
Ospreys were found guilty of misconduct after failing to fulfil a rescheduled fixture against Ulster at Ravenhill in March. The Welsh outfit said they did not have frontrow cover to play the game.
Adam Jones, Huw Bennett and Paul James were all on Wales duty for their final Six Nations game against Italy at the Millennium Stadium in March, while Duncan Jones and Richard Hibbard were injured.
The game was eventually played on April 13th, but the champions were fined £100,000 (€120,000), handed a four points deduction for two years and ordered to pay costs by the original disciplinary panel in Glasgow in May.
This week’s ruling by the three-man committee, chaired by Edwin Glasgow QC, suspended the four points deduction for two years, meaning that four points will be restored to the Ospreys for this season’s Magners League campaign. The £100,000 fine and costs were upheld.
The Appeal Committee’s decision is final and there is no further right of appeal for either party.
Ospreys were back in Belfast last Friday and lost their opening game of the new season 27-26 to Ulster. However, with the points reinstated they move from bottom on minus three up to seventh in these early stages.