Maidstone Rugby Club face an anxious wait before knowing whether the RFU will grant them an appeal hearing to contest the 50-point deduction imposed after the eye-gouging incident which left Gravesend’s Clarence Harding blind in one eye.

The deduction was imposed, along with a £2,000 fine, after the RFU ruled that Maidstone were guilty of conduct prejudicial to the interests of the game during the Kent Cup match with Gravesend in January 2010.

The club formally lodged a notice of appeal this week but chairman Andy Golding (pictured) says there is no guarantee they will get the chance to put their case.

He said: "It’s not a given as far as I’m aware. They (the RFU) have to look at what the grounds of appeal are and if they are sufficient to warrant another hearing.

"We are hopeful because this is our last course of action."

A statement posted on the Maidstone website said the club had appealed because they did not accept that Mr Harding’s injury was caused deliberately.

They also contest the finding that a club can be held responsible for the actions of ‘a player or players unknown’.