The Highlanders begin new chapter with team named for season opener

No here you are trying to p1ss on Bundi Akis parade on a wonderful occasion for him and his family. The indiginous people in NZ are Maori.

10 of the NZ team for the 2023 RWC were not born in NZ. They were immigrants.

Now please stop your self righteous whining. Go argue with a Springbok supporter over who is the greatest and how humble you are.

Looking forward to kicking your teams ass if they are in the Aviva this Autumn?

Let me share a personal story that illustrates this. My cousin, a good Kiwi girl, fell in love and married a Samoan over 40 years ago. They started a family, and now their daughter is about to start her own.

Now, when the child is older, he/she can choose to play for ABs or Samoa—ABs via birth and Samoa via Grandparents. It is probably very likely, as the husband is a former AB, so a professional rugby career is a distinct possibility.

If he plays for ABs - given your state of mind, NZ has stolen him from Samoa...

There is natural immigration between NZ and the Islands. They are part of our community, and kids do come down on rugby scholarships to learn rugby and get an education.

On the other hand, Ireland specifically targeted adult professional rugby players, who they termed "project players," to cap them for Ireland. Among those numbers are people like Jarrod Payne, Aki, Lowe, CJ Stander, etc.

This "project "was run and funded by the IRFU to directly assist the Irish rugby team in addressing depth issues.

20% of the Irish run on team vs NZ at the WC, were in effect "project players" - maybe Jamieson GP is little different as don't think he was deliberately targeted unlike Aki/Lowe.

That you can honestly compare natural immigration between Islands and the Pacific, where the cultural makeup is similar vs. a targeted project set up by the IRFU, shows just how inherently dishonest you are.

The foolish thing about it is it embarrasses the Irish team when it's not necessary. As shown by the last test against the Boks, Ireland didn't need these project players to win, as they are a quality side without those players.

Instead, all they have done is give people the ability to detract from any achievements by pointing out the Irish brought their way to success.

When the time comes, and it may be soon, when a united ireland happens, why on earth would they even want to be part of it???

Why would a nation long for their independence as a whole politically but simultaneously yearn to be under the auspices of a combined sporting structure?

So point 1 is absolutely valid however the gp has just bent over and been most royally rogered by the rfu, with the England coach now dictating which player do or do not play.

Point 2, they won’t give a fcuk.

Point 3, they don’t, for now…

We done the most experienced bok team in history with our development squad! In bok land!

Hows the RWC head-to-head stats?

Spelling Ireland incorrectly while calling out 'illiteracy' ain't a great look.

Also, you can unblock him whenever you want and tune him, for your own entertainment.

1. URC teams are mostly managed by regions/nations, with the main purpose being to groom players for the national teams, Premiership teams are clubs, with the main purpose of turning a profit.

2. What happens to South Africa and even more confusingly, Italy? I guess the Saffa teams would go back to Super Rugby, but for a variety of reasons, they don't want that. And where the heck do you put the 2 Italian teams? France? Their own set up (they don't have nearly enough talent to field it)?

3. URC teams don't need it. The URC has been a big success. Save for maybe the Welsh teams, none of them want it.