Spain are to launch an appeal against being thrown out of the 2023 Rugby World Cup for fielding an ineligible player during the qualifying stages, officials announced Friday.

On May 5, an independent judicial committee ruled Spain had breached a World Rugby eligibility regulation by fielding Gavin van den Berg in two qualification matches.

The sanction imposed by the committee included a fine and points deduction meaning Spain had no longer qualified for next year’s World Cup in France.

Friday’s statement from World Rugby said a three-strong panel would consider the appeal, with “the hearing date to be confirmed in due course”.

South African-born prop van den Berg, who has been playing in Spain since 2018, featured in two qualifiers against the Netherlands in 2020 and 2021 but was deemed not to have served the three years of residency needed to become eligible under World Rugby rules.

What makes this case all the more remarkable is that Spain, Romania and Belgium were all sanctioned in 2018 for fielding ineligible players, paving the way for Russia to qualify for the 2019 World Cup in Japan.

Spain’s furious players responded to their latest expulsion by releasing a statement distancing themselves from all the “lies and inefficiency” of their national federation.

As things stand, Spain have been replaced in next year’s edition by Romania.

Portugal — the team Spain beat to seal their place at France 2023 — have taken the spot vacated by Romania in the final qualification event taking place in November.