New Zealand’s ‘8s’ win to stand

SYDNEY – New Zealand will face no disciplinary action despite fielding eight players when the team scored a game-tying try against Australia in the Sydney Sevens.

Shortly after the game, World Rugby released a statement saying the result would stand despite footage clearly showing eight players on the field at the start of the move that levelled the game at the death.

The game’s governing body has released a statement, saying it would not punish the team as the breach was not an intentional attempt to cheat.

“It was an inadvertent breach as a consequence of a number of factors relating to the management of replacements involving a number of parties,” the statement read.

Rubbing salt into the wound for Australia was the fact New Zealand also scored after the siren in the final to win the tournament.

World Rugby said it was “committed to ensuring that there is no such repetition and will ensure that all teams and officials pay particular attention to the process of replacement management”. - ABC