FNB Rhodes have been awarded five points after Cape Peninsula University of Technology (FNB CPUT) were found to have fielded ineligible players in their Varsity Shield match in Grahamstown in February.
FNB Rhodes have been awarded five points after Cape Peninsula University of Technology (FNB CPUT) were found to have fielded ineligible players in their Varsity Shield match in Grahamstown in February.
FNB CPUT have been docked 11 points, with their victories against FNB Rhodes and FNB UKZN overturned and adjusted to reflect 32-0 losses, after they were found to have fielded ineligible players in four of their Varsity Shield matches this season.
On Friday 17 March the FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International’s Disciplinary Committee held a hearing for FNB CPUT. The university pled guilty to the charges that they had fielded five ineligible players over four of their five matches this season.
“It is very disappointing to have another one of the new universities in the competition transgressing the rules,” said Varsity Cup CEO Duister Bosman. “We have no choice but to be firm on our Memorandum of Incorporation’s by-laws and instil a culture of respect for the agreed rules.”
FNB CPUT fielded players whose results from deferred exams of 2016 would only be released in March 2017 and ran the risk that these players would possibly not receive the 60 credits needed to participate with eligibility. In addition, the university fielded two players who were not even registered for 60 credits and thus could not be eligible regardless of examination results.
Disciplinary action taken against FNB CPUT:
Match one: FNB CPUT lose the one log point earned against FNB UWC on 9 February (FNB UWC earned a full five points on offer in this match).
Match two: Result against FNB Rhodes on 13 February is overturned to 32-0 in favour of FNB Rhodes and five log points are awarded to FNB Rhodes. FNB CPUT lose the four points earned.
Match three: Result against FNB UKZN on 27 February is overturned to 32-0 to in favour of FNB UKZN and five log points are awarded to FNB UKZN. FNB CPUT lose the five log points earned.
Match four: Result against FNB WSU on 6 March is overturned to 32-0 in favour of FNB WSU and five log points are awarded to FNB WSU. FNB CPUT lose the one log point earned.
This will result in FNB CPUT losing 11 of their 16 log points, and they are currently last on the Varsity Shield log with five points. FNB Rhodes are second last with six points.
