IPSWICH YM’S weekend Junior Vase defeat to Billericay has been chalked-off, following an appeal.

The Suffolk side lost 27-18, at home to the Essex outfit, but were left aggrieved when match officials from Suffolk and North Essex Rugby Union Referees’ Society informed the teams they could not play rolling subs.

Suffolk RFU opted to vote for the rolling subs rule at the beginning of the season, meaning it could be implemented at any league game below level 5 as well as Intermediate Cup, Senior Vase and Junior Vase matches.

Trevor White, the chairman and treasurer of Suffolk and North Essex Rugby Union Referees’ Society, claimed his organisation were not aware of the rule being implemented for cup games, but London SE Cup Administrator Mike Ward, confirmed that “regulations were not fulfilled”.

The game could still be awarded to Billericay, if they were to appeal and be successful but, for now, YM director of rugby at YM, Andrew Moore, is satisfied with the decision.

“We will play on the next available Saturday after any appeal process,” he said.

“The decision has to go through the correct process but we are happy with it.

“As the ruling has found, we were impeded by the laws being changed midway through the game.

“While we do feel for Billericay – they came a long way and won the game – we would have liked to have been given the opportunity to have used rolling subs and see whether or not the outcome would have been different.”

He added: “I would like to stress, however, that at no point did we actually say the referee was at fault.

“He was put in a very difficult position as a young up-and-coming official, being told by outside influences what the rules were.”

n Suffolk Ladies’ scheduled clash with Essex at Stowmarket RUFC on Sunday, has been cancelled as their opponents are unable to field a team.