🇪🇸 #2. Spain — Disqualified from 2019 & 2023 Rugby World Cups
Spain’s road to the Rugby World Cup has been plagued by eligibility controversies.
First, in 2019, Spain, Belgium and Romania were all sanctioned for fielding ineligible players during the qualification campaign — a debacle that ended up handing Russia an unexpected ticket to Japan.
Then in 2022, Spain qualified for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France for what would’ve been their first appearance in 24 years — only for the dream to be shattered again. This time, it was discovered that Spain had allegedly used a player with a forged passport during qualifying.
As a result, they were docked 10 points, booted out of the tournament, and replaced by Romania, who had finished just behind them.
❌ Despite appeals, World Rugby upheld the ban, marking the second time Spain had been removed from World Cup contention due to player eligibility issues.
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