London Welsh await outcome of appeal

The London Welsh rugby union team will find out next week whether their appeal against a five-point deduction and £15,000 fine has been successful.

An appeal hearing took place yesterday, over their punishment for fielding an ineligible player - New Zealander Tyson Keats - in 10 Premiership games.

Keats should have been eligible for an ancestry visa, due to his grandfather being born in England, but Mike Scott the former London Welsh team manager made a mistake in the original application.

Instead of reapplying, Scott told Keats' agent and the club that the visa had been successfully granted to the player. Meanwhile, Scott submitted false documents - including a forged passport - to the RFU in a bid to pass Keats off as English-qualified.

Scott has since been banned from rugby for life and cautioned by police for falsifying registration documents.

London Welsh argued they should not be blamed for fraudulent behaviour conducted by Scott, who was described in the original judgement as a "rogue employee".

The points deduction sent London Welsh bottom of the Premiership, two points behind Sale Sharks with five games left.