**Harlequins will be able to compete in this season’s Heineken Cup after organisers ruled out taking further action over the fake blood incident.**The European Rugby Cup says it is content with the punishments handed out by its disciplinary committee.
Harlequins were fined £259,000 and director of rugby Dean Richards was banned from the game for three years.
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) must now decide whether it wants to take any more action over the damaging affair.
Tom Williams, the player at the centre of the scandal, saw a year-long ban reduced to four months and physio Steph Brennan was banned for two years.
The scandal started when Williams used a fake blood capsule to engineer a blood substitution in last season’s Heineken Cup quarter-final against Leinster.
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After biting on the capsule he was helped from the field, enabling fly-half Nick Evans to return to the match in an ultimately fruitless attempt to kick a winning drop-goal for the Londoners.
On Tuesday, the ERC board decided they would not add to Quins’ punishment, but said they would send the RFU evidence to help its inquiry into the London club’s conduct.
“The ERC disciplinary officer has brought the misconduct charges against Harlequins and/or its officials and staff as far as is feasible in this instance,” said an ERC statement.
“The board has directed the ERC disciplinary officer to pass onto the RFU, where appropriate, relevant information gathered in ERC’s investigation and hearings.”
The RFU may still take further action over other attempts by Richards and Quins to fake injury that came to light in the disciplinary hearing.