Welsh rugby league side Crusaders facing heavy fine over visas

Still reeling from a managerial fiasco that led to six of their players being sent home earlier this year, the Welsh rugby league club Celtic Crusaders is now facing additional fines of up to £60,000.

Tony Duggan, Damien Quinn, Darren Mapp, Jace van Dijk, Mark Dalle and Josh Hannay were all deported from the UK in August having been found to have breached UK entry conditions in a previous year.

The UK Border Agency has been running an investigation into the matter and has deemed that although the rugby league club should not be subjected to any legal charges they have been issued with a civil penalty notice.

The notice, similar to those handed out to employers who hire illegal workers, requires that the rugby league club provide sufficient evidence that the mandatory right to work in the UK pre-employment checks were made of the group of six.

The UKBA has confirmed that the rugby league club now faces fines of up to £60,000, £10,000 for each player employed, unless such evidence is forthcoming.

In spite of the ongoing investigations from the immigration agency the Rugby Football League (RFL) has claimed that it is now in a position where it can ramp up its own investigation into the matter.

CEO of the RFL Nigel Wood has argued that the league was waiting until the UKBA had completed their inquiries. Wood said that he had been advised this was now the case and the league can commence what is sure to be a landmark investigation and ruling.