Ospreys quizzed over Januarie

South African may have been ineligible for Heineken Cup

Last updated: 24th February 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Ospreys quizzed over Januarie

Januarie: Two month deal?

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European Rugby Cup chiefs are probing the eligibility of Ospreys' South African scrum-half Ricky Januarie.

However, the club says it is co-operating with the ERC and insist they are not the only club being quizzed by the organisation.

According to the Guardian, Premier Rugby - the body that represents the 12 Guinness Premiership clubs - have queried Januarie's eligibility with ERC.

The half-back joined Ospreys on loan from Super 14 side the Stormers at the end of November and is now back with the Cape Town-based outfit.

"We were contacted by ERC last month as, we believe, were a number of other clubs, to clarify certain issues around the registration of players in this season's European competitions, in our case regarding Ricky Januarie," said an Ospreys spokesperson.

"We are co-operating fully with ERC, providing them with all the relevant paperwork relating to Ricky's transfer and registration, and believe that all our actions comply implicitly with tournament regulations.

"We would reiterate that this is not solely an Ospreys issue. It is our understanding that ERC have also made contact with a number of other clubs regarding the issue of registration."

Teams can add one player to their Heineken Cup squad during the tournament's pool stages, but competition rules state 'he must have at least a three-month contract with the club.'

The Stormers said Januarie's move was a two-month deal when they announced his departure to Wales, with the player taking part in the final four group games.

ERC is now examining terms of the deal, with Ospreys facing possible disciplinary action for a second time this season.

The Welsh regional side have already been fined after full-back Lee Byrne briefly appeared as a 16th player during the pool stage victory over Leicester.