A rugby match between Malone RFC and Ballynahinch RFC will go ahead today as arranged following an interim agreement announced in the High Court yesterday between the Irish Rugby Football Union and relegation-threatened Wanderers RFC.
Wanderers lost three points when their fixture against Buccaneers RFC of Athlone, due to be played last week, was postponed when they claimed their pitch at Merrion Road, Dublin, was waterlogged.
However, the IRFU's convenor, Mr Stan Waldron, found that the state of the pitch during the inspection was not such as to cause the game to be postponed and awarded the points to Buccaneers.
Wanderers challenged this decision in the High Court, claiming if Mr Waldron's finding was legally valid, the club would be relegated to Division Three of the AIB League. On Thursday, Wanderers secured temporary orders restraining the IRFU from taking any steps to relegate the club. It also secured an order preventing the IRFU taking any steps on foot of the convenor's decision.
In court yesterday, Mr Bill Shipsey SC, for Wanderers, said the interim orders were to continue until the trial of the action which Ms Justice Laffoy fixed for May 12th. Agreement had been reached between the parties on certain terms.
The IRFU will not rely on the Malone-Ballynahinch match taking place as part of its defence. The IRFU will tell both clubs before the match that neither side is obliged to play. Should Wanderers win its case and draw the rearranged match with Buccaneers, any play-off will be played before May 31st or, if that is not possible, at the start of next season.