The SRU Championship Committee has investigated the circumstances whereby there were uncontested scrums in a BT Premier Division 1 match between Watsonians and Hawick at Myreside on Saturday 24 September and has imposed a two point penalty on Hawick.

The Committee’s attention was drawn to the matter by Watsonians and their comments were considered along with a report from match referee David Wilkinson and a submission from Hawick’s Terence Froud.

The Committee has ruled that Hawick’s “failure to continue with contested scrums following the temporary suspension of a front row player constitutes a breach of Law 3.5 (c) and consequentially National Competition Rule 15.”

The law states: “When 19, 20, 21 or 22 players are nominated in a team there must be five players who can play in the front row to ensure that on the first occasion that a replacement hooker is required and, on the first occasion that a replacement prop forward is required, the team can continue to play safely with contested scrums.”

Hawick have indicated their opposition to the Championship Committee’s ruling and have said they will appeal the decision. They have until Friday 4 November to register formally an appeal.

This article was posted on 28-Oct-2005, 11:13 by Hugh Barrow.