Former Harlequins rugby director Dean Richards has been described as central to the blood cheating scandal that shamed his club.

Quins winger Tom Williams faked a blood injury to allow a substitution to be made in last April's European Cup quarter-final against Leinster.

He was given a fake blood capsule in an attempt to get goal kicker Nick Evans, who had earlier left the field injured, back into the action.

The Premiership club were hit with a STG260,000 ($A508,000) fine, while Richards was forced to resign after being banned from rugby for three years and Williams was also given a four-month ban.

Now Richards, 46, has come under fire again as he was strongly criticised Wednesday in a written judgement of his European Rugby Cup (ERC) appeal hearing.

The former England star's role in the controversy is laid bare in a damning judgement that runs to almost 100 pages and could leave his reputation in tatters.

Details of Williams' written judgement at the appeal were released last week, and further documentation regarding evidence given by Richards and former physiotherapist Steph Brennan, who was also forced to resign, has now been published.

In their judgement, the appeal committee said: "Mr Richards was the directing mind and had central control over everything that happened in relation to the fabrication of the blood injury on the pitch, and the cover-up in the days after the match.

"The only aspect of the matter in which the appeal committee determined he did not have direct involvement was the alleged cutting of Mr Williams' lip by Dr (Wendy) Chapman.

"It was Mr Richards who had instigated and directed arrangements which enabled the fabrication of blood injuries as and when that was convenient and would assist the club during matches.

Quins have so far avoided expulsion from this season's European Cup and their opening game is scheduled against Cardiff Blues for October 10.

However, ERC could yet reconsider the situation, especially since the appeal committee judgement leaves no doubt that Richards had encouraged others to deliberately mislead the investigating bodies.

"Mr Richards arranged matters so that those who were charged with misconduct complaints would lie to the legal team and would then lie to the disciplinary hearing," the statement continued.

"Mr Richards was by far and away the most experienced and senior individual involved.

"It was open to him at any stage to have said that 'enough is enough' and that the reputation of rugby and Harlequins had been sufficiently damaged.

"If he had admitted at any stage prior to the conclusion of the disciplinary hearing the truth of what had happened then the damage to individuals, the club and the game of rugby union would have been very much reduced."

The RFU later announced they would take no further action until the ERC had made its final decisions.

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