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'Not fair and consistent' - change to rugby eligibility laws needed

By Tom Raine
Wasps could sorely do with Malakai Fekitoa and Lima Sopoaga rediscovering their Highlanders form and chemistry. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

The effect of Tongan captain Sonatane Takulua’s post-match interview has certainly been noteworthy. In openly discussing the issues facing his side, Takulua brought awareness to a range of difficult realities present in rugby union today. One such topic – the eligibility laws currently within the game.

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Such laws are indeed wide-ranging in the impact they have upon players, nations and fans and can also prove controversial given the differing opinions and views surrounding them.

Joining the discourse in light of Takulua’s words were the Aotearoa Rugby Pod panel this week, with Maori All Blacks halfback Bryn Hall and ex-All Blacks hooker James Parsons providing their thoughts on the matter.

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Ross Karl, James Parsons and Bryn Hall discuss all the action from around the world of rugby on the Aotearoa Rugby Pod.

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Ross Karl, James Parsons and Bryn Hall discuss all the action from around the world of rugby on the Aotearoa Rugby Pod.

“I think definitely it’s an area that needs to be looked at,” said Parsons. “It was evident how the Tongan team were affected by it … and I think there’s a growing voice for [change]. I think there has been in the past, but there’s a genuine want now, looking for example at Moana Pasifika and Fijian Drua coming into Super Rugby, to improve the opportunities for success in Pasifika rugby.”

In April of this year it was announced by New Zealand Rugby that both Moana Pasifika and Fijian Drua had been granted conditional licences to join an expanded Super Rugby competition in 2022. Final negotiations appear to be ongoing with Rugby Australia, and as of yet, no details have been confirmed as to what the 2022 competition will look like.

Moana Pasifika general manager Kevin Senio also revealed that 80% of the team’s players must declare for Tonga and Samoa in order to play. It is hoped that through securing top talent at franchise level, greater autonomy and stability will be provided to the respective unions in picking their international sides.

Relatedly, Parsons went on to discuss how to allow for players who, having already represented one nation at international level, subsequently seek to switch their allegiance to play for another country.

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“There needs to be [a system] where you can potentially get guys who have represented other nations to make one [international] and purposeful change in their careers,” said Parsons. “There’s got to be something that allows a person who wants to change allegiance to do so, and that might simply involve a six-month stand-down or a year’s stand-down before they can then go and represent that country. You might need to have been born there or your family might need to have been born there. [Potentially also, a system] not just [for those going from] tier-one to tier-two. I think there might be people out there that want to go from tier-two to tier-one. It’s got to be consistent.”

Parsons’ view on the implementation of a stand-down period alone as a means of switching is shared by CEO of Pacific Rugby Players Welfare Dan Leo, regarding the method as a simpler and perhaps more inclusive means of changing one’s allegiance. The current rules require a player to have been out of test rugby for a minimum of three years, to hold a passport for their second country and to participate in an Olympic rugby sevens qualifying tournament before they are eligible for that ‘new’ nation at all levels. Whilst not an impossible path to follow, club commitments might nonetheless serve to prevent this route being undertaken, as Charles Piutau recently found out.

“They need to come up with a plan that is consistent,” continued Parsons. “I don’t think that the Olympics sevens as an avenue is right at the moment, because think of a front rower as an example, they’re largely not going to be able to play sevens, so [for them] there is no avenue back that way. That’s the only avenue, so it’s not fair and consistent.”

Both Parsons and Hall looked to the rugby league model as a positive example of what can emerge from a change in eligibility laws.

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“If you use Tongan rugby league as an example,” commented Parsons, “as a fan, [the eligibility rules] made me more interested in international rugby league. That Jason Taumalolo and all those players made the move to represent Tonga and we saw them beat the Aussies and challenge the Kiwis … it really does make you interested in international rugby league again. There’s more competition there. So, if we can do that in our game and make it really strong worldwide through an avenue like this, why not?”

Hall too highlighted the benefits for fans and players alike that could come from eligibility changes. “We want our game to grow, we want the best players in the world to be able to play international rugby. You look at the likes of Charles Piutau and Steven Luatua, guys that are still playing great rugby but have obviously played for the All Blacks … and haven’t played here for a long period of time – it would be great to be able to see them pull on their nation’s colors without them having to go through the sevens circuit to play.”

Fans of the game would likely not disagree with Hall’s logic – after all, who wouldn’t want to see the best players in the world be able to compete at a World Cup?

“I think it’s unfortunate that such a proud team like Tonga face so many barriers,” said Hall. “I think there needs to be some headway made by World Rugby and I think conversations are happening now more so now than they probably have in the past.”

Parsons echoed Hall’s views pointing out how recent progress and exposure has come through the actions of players in the game themselves.

“Guys like Charles Piutau, Malakai Fekitoa and George Moala all spoke out earlier in the year about wanting to do it and they’ve been quite strong in their views that it has got to change,” said Parsons. “They’ve brought a public voice to [the issue] and I do think there are conversations happening … People that make the decisions will be having those discussions as well. They’re not sitting there blind to the issues and what potential problems there are, that’s probably why it’s drawn out. It’s about when you do it, getting it right.”

Certainly, as shown by the likes of Fine Inisi and Luatangi Li on Saturday evening, pride in one’s national jersey continues to hold a special place in rugby.

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Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

40 Go to comments
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Adrian 12 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

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