World Rugby agrees to new regs allowing players to switch national team

This seems like an enormous deal so thought it was thread-worthy. Players who haven't played international rugby in the past 3 years and have birthright connection to another nation will be able to switch once to that nation. So for example Charles Piutau will be available for Tonga if he wishes. Main beneficiaries will (hopefully) be PI nations, and given how badly they get treated in general I think it's very positive/welcome.

https://twitter.com/Murray_Kinsella/status/1463508241447538691?s=20

Clegg

Piutau could be lining up against Ireland at the WC.

It also means that Jordi Murphy, 30 times capped Ireland international, could play for Spain if he wished.

Former Former Former

Full deets;

World Rugby approves birth right amendment for players to transfer unions | World Rugby

Wow, they kept this very quiet.

Hopefully it is the PIs who benefit from this

phog

I think this is a good step, I'd had have a cap on the number of games a player could have played for the country that they earned their initial international cap with with before deciding to move to their "home" country.

RichieRich_89

Who could this affect? Haley, Addison and Arnold could play for England again. Could Marmion play for England?

arsebiscuits1

From a user on Reddit:

"Steven Luatua, Charlie Faumuina, Lima Sopoaga, Francis Saili, Ben Lam, Jeff To'omaga Allen, Victor Vito, Lolagi Visinia would become eligible immediately for Samoa. Josh Ioane would become eligible next year."

That's absolutely insane if they can get that calibre of player.

arsebiscuits1

John Cooney would be eligible to represent Scotland in 2023.

I wonder will there still be as much uproar when he still doesn't get picked....

AbusesToilets

Should call it the Nacewa Law

arsebiscuits1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118216814#Comment_118216814

Initially I thought "what could have been"

Until I remembered it would resulted in All Blacks caps and he never would have graced Leinster (twice)

arsebiscuits1

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118216795#Comment_118216795

They won't

This is a good move, but players playing in Europe simply won't make themselves available.

arsebiscuits1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118216827#Comment_118216827

You'll have to tell that to Sopoaga

https://twitter.com/LimaSopoaga/status/1463512812446224390?t=fd6O1gxGKBX8mBvx6Gkayw&s=19

Podge_irl

The odd one might, but they are paid well by the European clubs on the basis that they are available during international windows. I would be thrilled to be wrong - but you already have massive pressure on active Pacific Island players to not accept call ups. The pressure on these players will be enormous

Jump_In_Jack

Surely this really only matters for World Cups though.

AbusesToilets

McGinty back to a province in time for the WC?🤭

RichieRich_89

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118217319#Comment_118217319

He played against Canada on September the 11th this year, according to ESPN, so the earliest he could re-qualify is 2024, I think.

Larbre34

If a player hasn't played international for three years, theres probably a good reason.

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118217389#Comment_118217389

But if he hasn't played a Tier 1 international game for 3 years, he might still be plenty good enough for a Tier 2 team, which is presumably the spirit of the change.

CatFromHue

Seems strange that they changed residency to 5 years but this rule is only 3 years.

MightyMunster

In fairness these are actually from or descendants of a country. Should be shorter than a project player

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118217602#Comment_118217602

There doesn't seem to be any particular reason the numbers should be related at all

swiwi_

Yes! Now my path to representing Switzerland is clear!

TRC10

In the same year that WR abolishes a law that allows someone to change nationality in 3 years...

they create a new law that allows someone to change nationality in 3 years.

This will be good for the Pacific nations in the short term and might make them more competitive at the WC,

but it won't solve the issue of them being massively reliant on NZ and Australia to develop their players and having the best 16/17 year olds poached. e.g. Sevu Reece, Tupou, Koroibeiti, Naholo

All it does is allow them to regain the players who weren't good enough to become regulars for NZ/Aus.

The real work that needs to be done is in the academies and player pathways. The 2 new teams in Super Rugby is hopefully the start of that.

Jump_In_Jack

Also will allow the likes of Piutau, Naholo and Fekitoa play in a World Cup, players like them that will leave NZ and Aus as soon as they get a big offer in Europe.

they were plenty good enough but they only played with NZ to make a name for themselves and then make more money.

phog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118217602#Comment_118217602

You seem to be trying to compare apples and oranges there.

daheff

I don't think this is a bad move. All it does is reward mercenary players, not players who genuinely want to play for their country.

Next stop is to allow actual transfers !

sydthebeat

its an excellent move.

in reality it will make the touring test games more attractive to the hosting teams, thus a higher ticket price, thus more money for the touring team, thus better resources for the "tier 2" team... thats the theory anyway.

imagine a Tongan team touring with Piutau, Folau, Moala, Fifita, Fekitoa and the 2 vunipolas ??

In competitions it would make them more competitive as well, raising their profile.

i cant see any downside to it other than it should have been allowed years ago.

realhorrorshow

Can anyone think of any players who will become IQ now? George McGuigan? I wonder if Sean McMahon has any Irish family? Perhaps Gregory Aldritt fancies sitting out of international rugby for three years?

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118219815#Comment_118219815

piers o connor, calum sheedy, john quill, jack willis, paul mullen, kieran brooks, dylan fawsitt, luke carty, dan kelly

swiwi_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118219800#Comment_118219800

https://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/127095514/how-lowkey-pasifika-champion-joe-schmidt-helped-change-world-rugbys-eligibility-rules

TRC10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118219838#Comment_118219838

Piers O'Connor is already eligible as he hasn't been capped by England. He's a good player but we don't really need him. He'd never be in contention for a starting jersey and he'd only block a young player at a province.

Dan Kelly is a really interesting one. England have a sh*it load of players in every position, so there's every chance he becomes an exceptional player but Eddie doesn't fancy him. He's only 20, so he could easily be an option in 3 years. He had Cam Redpath in the squad back in 2018 but he got injured and wasn't capped. He ended up declaring for Scotland this year.

Jack Willis looked set to be an England regular but he picked up a bad long term injury earlier this year. You never know if he'll get back in or not. I suspect he will, but if he's doesn't he could qualify for us in time.

Let's face it, Mullen, Carty, Brookes and Fawsitt won't ever be good enough

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118224201#Comment_118224201

The question wasn't "who would be good enough to qualify for Ireland"...

TRC10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118224285#Comment_118224285

I know, but it's an interesting discussion

Yeah_Right

I like it but I think it should be 5 year stand down. That way a player wouldn't be able to represent 2 different countries at consecutive RWCs. They would have to miss one cycle if they choose to switch.

I also agree that there should be a limit on the number of caps they have received. Maybe no more than 40.

irelandrover

i think the 3 year thing is fine.

There should be a cap limit on this. It seems designed to counter giving a player a few token caps to tie them in to a country.

aloooof

I wonder could we see some unintended consequences, like some cursory 2 min appearances off the bench in the Autumn Internationals 3 years out from a RWC? Hopefully it would be negligible enough (if at all).

Podge_irl

I'm fine with the 3 year stand down, especially considering they can only do it once and only towards a country where they have "native" links.

I can take or leave the cap limit.