World Cup News: A senior Olympic official has criticised the International Rugby Board (IRB) for their handling of a media row that threatened coverage of the World Cup.

Kevan Gosper, chairman of the International Olympic Committee's press commission, told The Australian newspaper the IRB were wrong to try to impose restrictions on the media, mainly limiting photos and video on the internet, at a major sporting event.

"There have been several international federations who have moved in on the written press in the last few years and that makes me uneasy," Gosper said.

"For the IRB to put these constraints on the agencies is absolutely wrong. I want to make it clear that we are not compliant or complicit in the IRB's moves."

Leading international news agencies, including Reuters and a 40-strong world news media coalition, last week invoked an unprecedented media boycott of the World Cup.

The media organisations suspended all text, photographic and video coverage in protest at what they said were unreasonable restrictions before an agreement was reached just hours before the opening match in Paris on Friday.

The IRB had argued that they were protecting their commercial rights and accused the media of staging a "misinformation campaign".

Rugby was played at four Olympics from 1900 but was dropped from the programme after 1924 and has never been reintroduced.

The IRB has been campaigning for sevens rugby to be added to future Olympics but Gosper said the media row would not have helped their case. "This is not the way to behave if you want to be an Olympic sport," Gosper said.

Meanwhile, Petru Balan has pulled out of Romania's World Cup squad because of a knee injury. The Biarritz prop will be replaced in the squad by Paulica Ion, who will join up with the Romanians today.

Balan missed the 24-18 defeat to Italy on Wednesday. Romania's next Pool C game is against Scotland on Tuesday.