Future unclear for Pumas as Tarbes Face Relegation Penalty

French second division club Tarbes Pyrénées has been condemned to automatic relegation down from the Pro d2 to France’s third division next season. In addition the south-western French club has been deducted 15 points to now sit bottom of the Pro d2 with two competition points, 8 behind Biarritz.

Investigated by the financial auditors of French rugby over a shortfall in their budget and falsifying documents, the Pyrennes club has 10 days to appeal. The Direction national d’aide et contrôle de gestation (DNAGG) has given the club ten days to appeal the decision.

Affected by this are Argentine players Agustín Costa Repetto, Jeronimo Negroto, Sebastián Poet and Nicolás Vergallo. The future of all four at the club will now be brought into question as will also be the case for other players. Of them Poet was on the radar for Argentina, playing for Los Jaguares in 2014 and three tests in the 2013 South American Championship.

The veteran Vergallo played his 35th and final test match for Los Pumas against England in 2013. Costa Repetto played two tests in 2005 while Negroto is uncapped.