'Not fair and consistent' - change to rugby eligibility laws needed
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.
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.
“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.
“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.”
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Both Parsons and Hall looked to the rugby league model as a positive example of what can emerge from a change in eligibility laws.
“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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Comments on RugbyPass
Hold the phone, decline over-rated. Is it a one game, dead cat bounce or the real thing? Has the Penney dropped? Stay tuned.
40 Go to commentsTotally deserved win for the Crusaders Far smarter than the Chiefs who seem to be avoiding the basics when it matters Hotham showed them what was missing and Hannah seems a real find - a tad light but that can be fixed over time
8 Go to commentsGreat insight into the performance culture with Sarries and I predict Christie will be a fixture in the Scotland team now for some time to come. However, he is slightly missing his own point around Scotland “being soft” when he cites physicality examples in defence of that slight. The issue is much closer to the example he referenced around feeling off before a game but being told “it doesn’t matter, you can still play well” by Farrell. Until Scotland can get their psyche in that square, they will carry on folding under extreme pressure…
1 Go to comments> We are having to adapt, evolve and innovate more than when we were in Super Rugby where there was only really one style that everybody had to play to gain the most success. Have = able to? Interesting what that one style might be? I thought SA sides still had bad tours now, or at least bad schedule, months away? Those extra few hours flights have to be a killer though, no surprise to see their sides doing so badly at the start of the season each year. I wouldn’t enjoy that unfairness as a supporter.
5 Go to commentsThe problem for NZ, and Aus, is they ripped up the SR model and lost a massive chunk of revenue that hasn’t been replaced. Don’t forget SA clubs went North because they were left with no choice, Argy unceremoniously binned and Japan cast adrift. Now SR wasn’t perfect, far from it, but they’ve jumped into something without an effective plan, so far, to replace what they’ve lost. The biggest revenue potential now lies in Japan but it won’t be easy or quick to unlock, they are incredibly insular in culture as a nation. In the meantime, there is a serious time bomb sitting under SH rugby and if it happens then the current financial challenges will look like a picnic. IF the Boks follow their provincial teams and head north then it’s revenue meltdown. Not guaranteed to happen but the status quo is a very odd hybrid, with the Boks pointing one way and the clubs pointing the other way. And for as long as that remains then the threat is real.
40 Go to commentsI think Etene has had some good tuition, likely while at the Warriors to be a professional that helped his rugby jump, but he was certainly thrown in the deep end way too early. Should have arguably 20 less SR caps, and therefor a way better record that he does at his age, but his development would have been fast tracked by the need to satiate his signing away from league. Again, credit to him and others that he has done it so well. Easy to fall over under that pressure in the big leagues like that but he kept at it when I myself wasn’t sure he was good enough.
1 Go to commentsAwesome story. I wonder what a bigger American (SA) scene might have mean for Brex.
1 Go to comments“Johnny McNicholl and the Crusaders” save a Penney. Who has been in camp this week and showed them how to play?
8 Go to commentsSo, reports of the Crusaders’ demise / terminal decline are perhaps just - slightly - premature/exaggerated…? 🤔 Will we see a deep-dive into that by the estimable Rugbypass scribes, and maybe one or two mea culpas? Thought not.
8 Go to comments1. The Chiefs are rudderless without DMac, which enhances his AB chances 2. Chiefs pack are powderpuffs. The hard men arent there anymore 3. They had their golden title chance last yr and wont threaten this yr. Gone in second round of playoffs.
8 Go to commentsHonestly, why did you have to publish such a foolish article the day they play us? 😂
40 Go to comments> They are not standalone entities. They are linked to an amateur association which holds the FFR licence that allows the professional side to compete in the league. That’s a great rule. This looks like the chicken or egg professional scenario. How long is it going to be before the club can break even (if that is even a thing in French rugby)? If the locals aren’t into well it would be good to se them drop to amateur level (is it that far?). Hope they can reset from this level and be more practical, there will be a time when they can rebuild (if France has there setup right).
1 Go to commentsWhat about changing the ball? To something heavier and more pointed that bounces unpredictably. Not this almost round football used these days.
35 Go to commentsThis 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”?
35 Go to commentsWow, didn’t realise there was such apathy to URC in SA, or by Champions Cup teams. Just read Nick’s article on Crusaders, are Sharks a similar circumstance? I think SA rugby has been far more balanced than NZs, no?
4 Go to commentsBut 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 commentsIt could be coincidental or prescient that the All Blacks most dominant period under Steve Hansen was when the Crusaders had their least successful period under Todd Blackadder and then the positions reversed when Razor took over the Crusaders.
40 Go to commentsDefinitely sound read everybodyexpects immediate results these days, I don't think any team would travel well at all having lost three of the most important game changers in the game,compiled with the massive injury list they are now carrying, good to see a different more in depth perspective of a coaches history.
3 Go to commentsSinckler is a really big loss for English rugby.
2 Go to commentsThanks 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
40 Go to comments