Richards' reputation in ruins

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Currently banned from the sport for three years, the latest damning revelations following the Harlequins 'Bloodgate' scandal raise grave doubts whether or not he can ever return.

Quins though, will feel a sense of immense relief they have avoided expulsion from this season's Heineken Cup.

European Rugby Cup directors met in Dublin on Wednesday, and said they saw "no reason to interfere with the participation of Harlequins in the 2009/10 Heineken Cup."

This follows suspensions for Richards, Harlequins wing Tom Williams (four months) and ex-Quins physiotherapist Steph Brennan (two years) plus a 300,000 euro fine meted out to the club by an independent ERC appeal committee on August 17.

In a statement, ERC said: "The board acknowledged and fully accepted the decisions and sanctions of the independent appeal committee which found the club, Tom Williams, Dean Richards and Steph Brennan all guilty of misconduct under the Heineken Cup 2009/10 disciplinary rules.

"As a consequence of the decisions reached by the independent appeal committee and the significant sanction imposed on the club, the board saw no reason to interfere with the participation of Harlequins in the 2009/10 Heineken Cup."

A 99-page document - evidence of the appeal hearing published by ERC - lays bare Richards' role in ordering Williams' fake blood injury during a Heineken Cup quarter-final defeat against Leinster last season.

"In one of the highest-profile matches in which the club had ever been involved, he was prepared to cheat Leinster out of a victory by bringing on a player at a crucial stage in the match when that player was not entitled to return to the field of play," read part of the judgement.

"He was quite disinterested in the consideration that, by acting the way that he did, the club which deserved to win the match might be deprived of its victory."