International rugby union's embarrassing eligibility row won't be resolved until next month at the earliest.
An International Rugby Board judicial committee - comprising Jannie Lubbe (South Africa), John Spencer (England) and Ronnie Dawson (Ireland) - had been due to sit next week.
But the IRB today agreed to a Welsh Rugby Union request to delay the Dublin hearing until May 2/3. Wales are alleged to have fielded ineligible players - namely New Zealand-born pair Shane Howarth and Brett Sinkinson - in Test matches this season.
Scotland are also in the dock over 41 times-capped prop Dave Hilton, whose grandfather hailed from Bristol, not Edinburgh, as first thought. The IRB subsequently prevented him from playing any part in last Sunday's Calcutta Cup clash against England.
Neither Howarth nor Sinkinson have played for Wales since allegations about their ancestry first surfaced last month.
A sweeping WRU inquiry, ordered by union secretary Dennis Gethin, has also targeted Cardiff wing Nick Walne and Swansea lock Tyrone Maullin, both of whom have recently been omitted from Wales A line-ups.
"The WRU expressed concerns about the time required to prepare for the
hearing," said IRB chief executive Stephen Baines. "Both they and Scotland have been advised of the new date, along with the precise nature of the case against them and the procedures to be followed. They have also been asked to confirm that certain players, named in their reports to the IRB, were ineligible for selection. The judicial committee has advised both unions to ensure the named players, along with the relevant officials, are available to attend the hearing in person."