Soignies want the result annulled after suffering a 356-3 weekend defeat

The Belgian rugby side who suffered an incredible record-setting defeat at the weekend will attempt to have the result annulled due to the late arrival of the referee.

Belgian top division side Soignies lost 356-3 to Brussels-based Kituro, their players acting virtually as spectators while they conceded 56 tries.

Soignies had defeated Kituro in the Belgian Cup a week earlier and arrived at their opponents’ ground ready for a 3pm kick-off, only to find the referee was not present.

A substitute official was found but he did not arrive for another hour and it was almost 4.30pm when the match finally got underway.

The visiting team's coach and a number of their players had already left by then, assuming the fixture was off, and the remaining players failed to compete properly in protest at the situation.

However, they did manage to kick a drop goal and therefore avoided being whitewashed.

Soignies club secretary Stephan Carnol said: "Some of our players had gone, so we only had 17 available rather than a full squad of 22.

“We will be appealing to the rugby federation and saying that the match was not played in optimal conditions, given the absence of the referee."

Soignies remain third in the league, a point ahead of Kituro, although their points difference will obviously be vastly inferior if they do not have the weekend result annulled.

The losing margin eclipses the record set by French side Vergt, who were beaten 350-0 by third division opponents Lavardac in 1984.

That match was played in the days of four points for a try and Lavardac crossed the line on 66 occasions as Vergt did not compete in protest at the suspension of four players.