According to the Scottish Rugby Union, the Borders club fielded three ineligible players in the Bowl semi-final against Glenrothes on Saturday, March 29.

The Championship Committee, an independent panel made up of six elected representatives from the club game and an independent chairman, made its unanimous decision based on the evidence presented by St Boswells, at a hearing last week.

It also determined that the same competition rule had been breached in certain St Boswells matches in RBS East Regional League Division 3 and in the RBS East Regional Bowl final.

Therefore, St Boswells have been docked 13 league points, for fielding up to three ineligible players in three different league fixtures.

The fixtures took place on Saturday, February 1 v RDVC, Saturday, February 8 v Gala YM and Saturday, March 15 v RDVC.

The national competition rule that has been breached is 5.3.3. which states that a dual-registered player cannot play for his lower placed club’s 1st XV in any of the last three league matches or in a national quarter-final or subsequent round of a Cup competition unless he has played in at least 50 per cent of that club’s previous national competition matches in that same season.

The Championship Committee’s decision was determined by national competition rule 5.5.1.

It states that in the event of an ineligible player being named in a match, the Championship Committee or a Regional Competitions Committee shall have the right to impose a penalty on the club being a formal reprimand and warning as to future conduct and/or the deduction of up to five league points and/or forfeit the tie and/or forfeit a proportion of the club’s participation money, as appropriate.

The player concerned may also be liable to such additional penalty or suspension, as the Championship Committee considers appropriate.

Liberton will now be awarded the East Regional Bowl trophy, while Glenrothes will play Highland in the RBS Bowl Final at Broadwood Stadium, Cumbernauld, on Saturday, April 19, if a St Boswells appeal fails.

Meanwhile, despite some injury worries, Melrose Ladies will be there. They tackle Murrayfield Wanderers in the final of the Sarah Beaney Cup at Broadwood on Saturday, kick-off 3.30pm. And they have invited the town to turn out to show their support.

The Ladies warmed up for the match with a victory over Stirling County in a challenge cup match, between the semis and the final, in front of a crowd of more than 10,000 spectators at the Greenyards on Saturday.

Melrose full-back Nicola Halfpenny, who has also played for Scotland, said: “It was a great experience. Most women will never get the chance to play in front of a crowd like that so it’s always great to be asked every year to go out and play there.” Looking ahead to this weekend’s match, she added: “It’s probably the first time that the club has been in the Sarah Beaney Cup final so we just want to go for it. We will go up there and try to win but we’ll see how it goes. It’s a cup final so anything can happen.”