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Shingler 'tied to Wales'

Wales win Shingler eligibility battle

01/13/2012 06:05:55 PM

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The Scottish Rugby Union are not ready to give up their fight for up-and-coming back Steven Shingler.

The SRU have announced their intention to ask the International Rugby Board's Regulations Committee to formally consider his eligibility, despite being advised that the player cannot play for any country other than Wales.

The 20-year-old London Irish player was last week named in Andy Robinson's Scotland squad for their opening Six Nations fixtures against England and Wales, with the coach believing Shingler to be available for selection due to his Dumfries-born mother.

The Welsh Rugby Union contended that Shingler could not play for another nation after playing fullback for Wales Under-20s against their French counterparts last year.

The SRU insisted he had kept his eligibility open by refusing to sign a declaration tying himself to Wales, although IRB Regulation Eight, which governs eligibility, makes no mention of the need for a player to sign a document to commit to a nation.

Both unions asked the IRB to review Shingler's eligibility, and the governing body indicated that he is not allowed to play for any country other than Wales under the terms of Regulation Eight, as the Under-20's fixture he had played in was sanctioned as being between the nominated second XV's of the competing nations.

But both the SRU and WRU have the option of utilising IRB Regulation 2, which would allow them to refer the matter to be considered formally by the governing body's Regulations Committee.

And the SRU wasted little time in confirming that they plan to refer the matter to the committee, as well as reiterating that they are fully supportive of Shingler.

The SRU statement read: "We remain fully supportive of the player and his sincere desire to represent Scotland and we intend to refer this matter to the IRB's Regulations Committee in order that it can consider the case formally in accordance with IRB Regulation 2."

The WRU, meanwhile, released a statement of their own expressing their approval of the outcome.

It read: "The WRU welcomes the IRB announcement which confirms that proper procedures were followed when informing the 2011 Wales U20 team to play France they would be solely Wales qualified at senior level after taking part in the game.

"It is important that all players informed of their potential senior selection status now or in future are left in no doubt about the authority of the regulations and protocols in place.

"The case of Steven Shingler being named as an RBS 6 Nations Scotland squad player could not be left untested because of the impact on all other players."

The SRU had also cited the cases of former Wales Under-20 internationals James Loxton and Matthew Jarvis, who moved to Connacht last year and are eligible to play for Ireland despite having played against a France Under-20's side in 2010.

But it is understood the WRU argued that the status of the 2010 fixture was different from the 2011 game that Shingler was involved in.

And the IRB indicated they agreed with that assessment.

"The International Rugby Board has been requested by the Scottish Rugby Union and Welsh Rugby Union to clarify the eligibility status of Steven Shingler," their statement read.

"Under IRB Regulation Eight a player is tied to a country if he or she has played for the senior national fifteen-a-side national representative team or the next senior national representative team or

 
Photograph Copyright : Getty Images
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