Isa Nacewa - World Cup??

durkadurka

""I have made a huge commitment to Leinster.

"Without our internationals at the start of next season it's going to be a tough ask for a lot of our younger guys.
"I think they are expecting me to be around and it's something I'll uphold if they want me to."

Suggests that if they ask him not to go then he won't . The 'huge commitment' bit also suggests he's being paid a ton of money and is expected to be available to play.

We're into subtle shades of grey here. There may be unwritten agreements and understandings involved here.

Podge_irl

Leinster can't ask him not to go, at least not officially. He's probably caused more potential hassle by giving that quote as if he stays it will imply it's cause Leinster asked him to which could get them in trouble.

Sounds largely like he just doesn't want to make any firm commitment and is causing all this hassle himself.

tolosenc

totallegend wrote: »

If Fiji got all their eligible players together, they would be a serious force to be reckoned with; Nacewa throwing his hat in would be a massive boost for them. If it encouraged a few other guys to turn up, all the better.

Yeah, but they'll be without a bunch of them who won't be allowed into NZ due to the political situation in Fiji. Of all the world cups, this won't be Fiji's best.

CatFromHue

tolosenc wrote: »

Yeah, but they'll be without a bunch of them who won't be allowed into NZ due to the political situation in Fiji. Of all the world cups, this won't be Fiji's best.

how many of them are banned though? i though it was a small number. dont quote me but i thought it might even have only been 1!

CIARAN_BOYLE

CatFromHue wrote: »

how many of them are banned though? i though it was a small number. dont quote me but i thought it might even have only been 1!

Its a blanket ban on all fijians related in any way shape of form to the Fijian military. I believe in Fiji's 43 man provisional squad there are 13 locally based players most of whom are in someway connected to the military or the regime.

Some other players mightn't get visa's due to relative being involved in the military or otherwise in the Fijian regime

By the way Nacewa is not in the 43 man squad.

errlloyd

I'd hate to see rugby become like Soccer, where players don't care about their country.

I don't really buy that its a problem with Ireland and Munster yet, but it could become one, and this sort of thing could lead to that.

Then again Fiji isn't really his country!

Helium

Nacewa could join Fiji party to spoil Wales’ World Cup plans

IF Wales thought their bid for World Cup glory was demanding enough, it could be about to get a whole lot tougher.
For Leinster star Isa Nacewa, whose two tries for the Barbarians sunk Welsh hopes of victory in Cardiff last weekend, has revealed he’s considering appearing for Fiji at the World Cup.
It’s not news that Wales coach Warren Gatland would welcome after suffering the 20th defeat of his 38-match reign.
Nacewa, the only back on the short-list to be European player of the year, was outstanding in Leinster’s Heineken Cup success this season.

And Nacewa – the first overseas star to be named Ireland’s player of the campaign – has warned that Wales are in for a rough ride in a World Cup pool which also includes holders South Africa, Fiji, Samoa and Namibia.
Only the top two will go through to the quarter-finals and Fiji are hopeful of repeating their 2007 World Cup victory over Wales in Nantes.
“You look at all the Fijian players across France and Europe; if they can get them all together and get a bit of continuity into the World Cup they will have a really strong squad,” predicted elusive runner Nacewa.
“It’s [World Cup] a shop window for Fiji’s players to get professional contracts in Europe.
“They have got the Pacific Nations Cup to give them a bit of a lead into the World Cup.
“It’s a good time to gel a few combinations together.
“All the groups at the World Cup are tough but you look at the one the Welsh boys are in and it’s going to be a hard ask.”
Asked if Fiji could again upset the world order, Nacewa replied: “They were a force last time and they are going to be a force this time. They have got a good squad.”
The 28-year-old has until June 20 to make up his mind whether to join Fiji’s assault on the World Cup.
Born in Auckland, Nacewa has declined to play for them since appearing as a substitute against Scotland at the 2003 World Cup in Australia.
But he is considering saying “yes” to fresh Fijian overtures for this autumn’s tournament in New Zealand.
“It is tempting. I’ll tell you now, I haven’t decided,” said Nacewa. “I have to go back and talk to the wife and make a few decisions. Before the 20th I will have made up my mind.
“It’s been a long season, you know, and a great one too, so I’d quite like it to go on.
“Quite possibly, it’s been the best season of my life.
“We won a second Heineken Cup and it’s one we’ll remember because we did the hard yards to get there.
“And to top it off with a good Barbarians win ... it’s been a good year.”
When it was suggested to him it couldn’t get any better, he teased about the World Cup, saying: “We’ll see what happens after...”

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/rugbynation/rugby-news/2011/06/07/nacewa-could-join-fiji-party-to-spoil-wales-world-cup-plans-91466-28832114/#ixzz1OaO08WCs

ArmaniJeanss

Thats a load of bolix by NZ banning certain Fijian players.
Honestly to me it's bad enough that the World Cup should be taken away from them unless they guarantee free and unobstructed passage for all players.

As an equivalent in football much maligned FIFA force bidding countries like the USA to guarantee all selected players will be allowed entry even if they have blots on their record (a violent or drug offence, communist party membership, etc) that would ordinarily prevent entry.

justsomebloke

I say we shave his head, get him to act like a media whore, put some dolly bird on his arm and get him a fake passport under the name Rob Kearney.

durkadurka

He'd have to start kicking the leather off the ball.....

CIARAN_BOYLE

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

Thats a load of bolix by NZ banning certain Fijian players.
Honestly to me it's bad enough that the World Cup should be taken away from them unless they guarantee free and unobstructed passage for all players.

As an equivalent in football much maligned FIFA force bidding countries like the USA to guarantee all selected players will be allowed entry even if they have blots on their record (a violent or drug offence, communist party membership, etc) that would ordinarily prevent entry.

As an other equivalent in Football FIFA would ban Fiji from all international competition for having too much state involvement in the local association.

hardCopy

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

Thats a load of bolix by NZ banning certain Fijian players.
Honestly to me it's bad enough that the World Cup should be taken away from them unless they guarantee free and unobstructed passage for all players.

As an equivalent in football much maligned FIFA force bidding countries like the USA to guarantee all selected players will be allowed entry even if they have blots on their record (a violent or drug offence, communist party membership, etc) that would ordinarily prevent entry.

I thought the same myself until I read about the Fijian military's actions to disenfranchise Indian-Fijians and ban them from political office.

Admittedly I only started reading about it this morning but it looks pretty bad.

While it doesn't seem to be on the same scale as Apartheid, we banned the Boks for years, at least the non-military players are being allowed to play in this case.

thebaz

tolosenc wrote: »

Don't go, Isa.

Fiji are going to be poor at the World Cup regardless, so why waste your time?

Don't go BOD - why waste your time , Ireland are not going to win WC

playing for your country , should have a little to do with pride ...

Teferi

Isa isn't Fijian to be fair and Ireland have a decent chance of going very far in the WC.

jolley123

thebaz wrote: »

Don't go BOD - why waste your time , Ireland are not going to win WC

playing for your country , should have a little to do with pride ...

Even though I agree with the core of your point, Fiji is not Nacewa's country

......jus sayin.

Gracelessly Tom

hardCopy wrote: »

I thought the same myself until I read about the Fijian military's actions to disenfranchise Indian-Fijians and ban them from political office.

Admittedly I only started reading about it this morning but it looks pretty bad.

While it doesn't seem to be on the same scale as Apartheid, we banned the Boks for years, at least the non-military players are being allowed to play in this case.

Yep, it's an inter-racial thing so along the lines of apartheid, just not the same scale for obvious reasons. Have a small bit of dealings with this through work and I can fully see the reason for NZ's choice.

ArmaniJeanss, you're only taking it on face value, there's more to it than simply not letting a military state's personnel into the country.

ArmaniJeanss

Gracelessly Tom wrote: »

Yep, it's an inter-racial thing so along the lines of apartheid, just not the same scale for obvious reasons. Have a small bit of dealings with this through work and I can fully see the reason for NZ's choice.

ArmaniJeanss, you're only taking it on face value, there's more to it than simply not letting a military state's personnel into the country.

Fair point, and if truth be told I'm speaking from a position of 'not knowing much about the Fijian situation on the ground'.

I'd much prefer if the IRB or the UN (through sanctions or whatever) took the lead and perhaps barred Fiji from the competition like Yugoslavia were banned from all sporting events in the early 90s, and South Africa before them.

I feel it sets a bad precedent when the host country is deciding on accepting individual players - whilst I've no doubt that NZ are doing it in an above board way what if say Britain was allowed pick and choose which Chinese athletes are allowed compete in London or Brazil announced that (the Argentinian footballer) Higuain wasn't allowed into the country in 2014 as he'd done military service or something.

Its a bad road to go down imo - If XX country qualifies then you should accept all their chosen squad.

I was clearly too harsh in saying that NZ should be removed as host as they appear to be doing it for worthy reasons, I just think its the wrong approach.

But tx for the reply anyway, I'll have to read more of whats going on in Fiji.

WeeBushy

They are being banned at a government level, not by the NZRU so there's not much that they can do about it. I'm sure they want the best players at the tournament but its a political decision that isn't targeting rugby players specifically.

CIARAN_BOYLE

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

Fair point, and if truth be told I'm speaking from a position of 'not knowing much about the Fijian situation on the ground'.

I'd much prefer if the IRB or the UN (through sanctions or whatever) took the lead and perhaps barred Fiji from the competition like Yugoslavia were banned from all sporting events in the early 90s, and South Africa before them.

I feel it sets a bad precedent when the host country is deciding on accepting individual players - whilst I've no doubt that NZ are doing it in an above board way what if say Britain was allowed pick and choose which Chinese athletes are allowed compete in London or Brazil announced that (the Argentinian footballer) Higuain wasn't allowed into the country in 2014 as he'd done military service or something.

Its a bad road to go down imo - If XX country qualifies then you should accept all their chosen squad.

I was clearly too harsh in saying that NZ should be removed as host as they appear to be doing it for worthy reasons, I just think its the wrong approach.

But tx for the reply anyway, I'll have to read more of whats going on in Fiji.

Gotta agree with you

I would rather the IRB come out and say Fiji are not allowed compete because regime leader's brother is in charge of the Fijian Rugby Union than NZ making decisions about players

justsomebloke

WeeBushy wrote: »

They are being banned at a government level, not by the NZRU so there's not much that they can do about it. I'm sure they want the best players at the tournament but its a political decision that isn't targeting rugby players specifically.

If they are being banned at a goverment level, surely then Fiji would have a case for asking any of the games involving them to be played outside of NZ.

It doesn't matter what the political situation is like, host governments shouldn't be blocking players without the cooperation of other international governments

JustinDee

Joe the Santa wrote: »

It doesn't matter what the political situation is like, host governments shouldn't be blocking players without the cooperation of other international governments

They can do what they see fit and need no consensus or co-operation from any other government or governing body to carry out their own policies.

justsomebloke

JustinDee wrote: »

They can do what they see fit and need no consensus or co-operation from any other government or governing body to carry out their own policies.

and that is why I said Fiji would have a case for asking for their games to be played outside New Zealand

JustinDee

Joe the Santa wrote: »

and that is why I said Fiji would have a case for asking for their games to be played outside New Zealand

Against who? And where?

justsomebloke

JustinDee wrote:

Against who?

all their pool D matches

JustinDee wrote:

And where?

most likely Oz.

I didn't say it would happen I just said Fiji would have a case for it as the NZ government seem to be doing this without the support of the IRB

JustinDee

Joe the Santa wrote: »

all their pool D matches

most likely Oz.

I didn't say it would happen I just said Fiji would have a case for it as the NZ government seem to be doing this without the support of the IRB

They're prohibited from playing in Aussie as well.
Fiji don't have a case for anything of a kind. It is a government policy and doesn't need any support from the IRB, who have no say in what goes regardless, particular on political matters.

Sangre

JustinDee wrote: »

They're prohibited from playing in Aussie as well.
Fiji don't have a case for anything of a kind. It is a government policy and doesn't need any support from the IRB, who have no say in what goes regardless, particular on political matters.

Of course the IRB have no say in government policy. However, access by all players into the country should have been a condition of the WC bid. If the NZ government subsequently forces the NZRU to breach this agreement (by refusing access into the country), then the affected rugby nation or the IRB should be able to seek compensation from the NZRU.

JustinDee

Sangre wrote: »

Of course the IRB have no say in government policy. However, access by all players into the country should have been a condition of the WC bid. If the NZ government subsequently forces the NZRU to breach this agreement (by refusing access into the country), then the affected rugby nation or the IRB should be able to seek compensation from the NZRU.

There's no grounds for compensation. Nor should access be on the basis that you propose. No howevers. They will not form a competition stipulation that ignores common judiciary boundaries.

The reason for banning of certain players from Fiji by NZ (who make up a fraction of the entire squad anyway) is clear and was already known beforehand. Those players are out. Nothing they or anybody else can do about it.

CatFromHue

Its a tricky one.

What if they had criminal convictions against them, I'm not saying they do just saying, should NZ let them in?

ArmaniJeanss

JustinDee wrote: »

They will not form a competition stipulation that ignores common judiciary boundaries.

They should do, it should be a basic part of the bidding rules.
Hopefully they will bring it in for future bids.

CatFromHue wrote: »

What if they had criminal convictions against them, I'm not saying they do just saying, should NZ let them in?

FIFA have a stipulation that bidding countries for the soccer WC must accept all selected players - USA had to agree to this before bidding for 1994 and 2022. Otherwise all the myriad reasons for which you can be refused entry to the USA (having visited Cuba a lot, being a communist, having a drug conviction or a violence conviction (e.g, Joey Barton)) could cause issues.

BrianOFlanagan

Read an interview a while back and he's already said he got a letter for the Fiji RU and declined their offer. Fair play to him for doing that.