RUGBY NEWS:THE ORGANISERS of the Heineken Cup have failed to alter their tournament rules to prevent a repeat of the Bloodgate episode that marred last season's event. In English Premiership matches, opposition team doctors now have the right to inspect players' wounds. In Europe, medical rules will remain unchanged.

The board of European Rugby Cup Ltd has taken the laissez-faire view that, given the scandal which followed Harlequins’ use of blood capsules to fake an injury during their quarter-final defeat by Leinster in April, no club will be stupid enough to try something similar.

This season’s tournament kicks off next week and while ERC has adopted 23-man squads in an attempt to reduce uncontested scrums, referees will still be in charge of confirming blood substitutions. That arrangement was in place at the The Stoop when the referee, Nigel Owens, believed Tom Williams was suffering from a cut mouth.

At yesterday’s tournament launch in Paris, the venue for this season’s final on May 22nd, officials rejected the view that Quins had escaped lightly in avoiding expulsion.

Derek McGrath, ERC’s chief executive, defended the independent disciplinary process which imposed a €300,000 fine.

“Quins have had a lot to endure,” he said. “They’ve lost their coach and their chairman and received the biggest fine ever. There is an opinion they shouldn’t be there but we’re happy with the decision.”

McGrath also denied Quins had been reprieved because of logistical difficulties involved in revising the draw at such a late stage. “There were issues, not least finding a replacement,” he said. “Certainly that was a factor but primarily we looked at the facts of the case.

“The only minor tweak to the tournament . . . is that disciplinary hearings will now be heard by a single judicial officer, as opposed to three-man committees. ERC is keen to improve the consistency of its sanctions, although appeals will continue to be heard by a three-man panel.”

GuardianService