Doncaster Knights respond to five-point deduction for using unregistered agent

The penalty came to light after the RFU published final league standings for the 2019/20 season which were calculated using a best playing record formula.

Knights were ninth and had seven games left to play when the season was cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.

They finished tenth in the final table.

A club statement said: “At an online hearing convened on Tuesday, 31st March 2020, Doncaster RFC received a 5-point deduction from those gained in the 2019/20 shortened league season, together with a fine of £1,500 suspended for 2 years for breaching RFU Regulation 8.4.2 regarding the recruitment of a player via an unregistered Agent.

“Due to a change in management personnel plus associated administrative oversight, a player was recruited in the autumn of 2019, to cover significant squad injuries, with no consultation of the RFU Registered Agents list at the time.

“The agent in question was erroneously believed to be on the approved list but was not.

“The DRFC Board had no knowledge of the lapse when it occurred but readily accepted the club’s culpability when the facts came to light and gave sincere apologies for the error and assurances that management systems are now in force to avoid a recurrence of the breach of the regulation.”

London Scottish moved above Doncaster in the final standings.

Knights went from 28 points to 36.84.