Bulls ward off EPCR investigation
21/04/2024 07:09
The Vodacom Bulls have avoided a formal investigation by the EPCR for fielding a second-string team in their Champions Cup playoff against Northampton Saints.
According to Sunday newspaper Rapport, both the Bulls and SA Rugby received a letter asking for an explanation over Jake White’s selections for the game at Franklin’s Gardens.
White made 14 changes to his lineup for the Champions Cup quarter-final against Northampton Saints.
The Bulls, without captain Marcell Coetzee and Springbok stars Elrigh Louw, Willie le Roux, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Canan Moodie, suffered a 59-22 defeat, with northern hemisphere pundits arguing that White had disrespected the competition by making so many changes.
While the EPCR considered a formal investigation, the Bulls had the necessary medical evidence prepared to defend themselves against a breach of the Champions Cup’s rules.
“I suspect the EPCR just wanted to give the Bulls a slap on the wrist and nothing more,” an unnamed rugby boss told Rapport.
Instead, the European club governing body has prompted its member clubs and unions to introduce a break between the round of 16 and the quarter-finals, easing the travel burden on South African teams.
Photo: Paul Harding/Getty Images
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