Bath have until August 12 to appeal against the RFU's choice to block Stephen Donald's move to the club.
August 12 deadline for appeal against block on former All Black
Bath are preparing to appeal against the Rugby Football Union's decision to prevent Stephen Donald from signing for the club.
The ex-Chiefs and New Zealand fly-half was denied a move to the West Country outfit last Friday on the grounds of his eligibility to play in Britain.
Initially it was thought that he had been refused a work permit by the UK Border agency but it has since emerged that it was the RFU who moved to block the deal.
The RFU said that the issue revolved around the number and nature of international appearances Donald had made.
"Stephen Donald failed to meet the RFU Governing Body Endorsement criteria to play rugby in England, in accordance with UKBA requirements, because he has not started a game for New Zealand within the past 15 months," an RFU spokesperson explained.
"Bath Rugby are entitled to appeal."
Donald is a long-time understudy of Dan Carter and has 22 caps for his country but has appeared just three times for the All Blacks in the last 18 months.
Bleak
Each of those however, have been from the bench - his last coming on November 27 last year against Wales when he played the final two minutes at the Millennium Stadium.
The 27-year-old has since fallen out of favour and, after he was left out of Graham Henry's World Cup squad, the prospects of resurrecting his international career are looking increasingly bleak.
Bath have until August 12 to appeal against the RFU's decision and the club is reported to be quietly confident they will eventually succeed in their mission to bring Donald to the Rec.
The Bath Chronicle said that the appeal would be likely to centre on injuries to the player which, the club could argue, had hampered his ability to be selected by New Zealand.
Bath may choose to dispute the rule itself, which was only implemented on May 16 - after they had already begun discussions with Donald about a move to the club.
The appeal panel could also overturn the ban if they decide that 'the player is able to contribute significantly to the development of the game at the top level in England.'
If unsuccessful the only the option Bath would be left with is that of a judicial review, a high-risk option which could prove extremely costly.
