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World Rugby make amendment to eligibility criteria

Duhan van der Merwe - PA

World Rugby have announced an adjustment to regulation 8.1 (c) concerning national eligibility on residency grounds.

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The World Rugby regulation had previously stated that a player could only change their national eligibility through residency after “the player has been registered exclusively with a union or rugby body in the country for sixty months immediately preceding the time of playing.”

The adjustment now means any player with a “genuine, close, credible and established link to a union” is not required to complete 60 months (five years) of unbroken residency in the relevant country.

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    Players will now have to complete a 60-month ‘rugby registration’ in their adopted nation, but, crucially, will be allowed to travel during that period.

    The amendment comes after the World Rugby Council meeting in October 2023, and came into force on August 1.

    A World Rugby statement reads: “Following the World Rugby Council decision in October 2023, an adjustment to World Rugby Regulation 8.1 (c) governing national eligibility has been adopted across the game.

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    “From 1 August, 2024, any player with a genuine, close, credible and established link to a union is no longer required to complete 60 months (five years) of unbroken residency in the relevant country right up to the first time that player represents the union.

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    “Under the revised approach ‘rugby registration’ over a 60-month period will need to be demonstrated via registration with a rugby body, including a national union or club.

    “The amendment was approved by the Council following extensive consultation with unions and players and is aimed to address challenges that arise for unions within territories where recording entry and exit from a country is not straightforward.

    “The onus will be on the union and rugby body to demonstrate the relevant proof of unbroken registration when considering an eligibility case on rugby residency.”

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    Comments

    11 Comments
    B
    B.J. Spratt 233 days ago

    World Rugby is "Corrupt" E.g. Bernard La Porte and his best mate Billy Beaumont. Both under investigation.


    I think if the players can all get together and have a World Players Association, with an Independent Governing Body.


    Players take the "risk"


    Change the rules, make it simpler so kids can understand the game.

    J
    Jmann 233 days ago

    so just a damn free for all for NH teams raping the SH for players then....

    H
    Hellhound 234 days ago

    SA will suffer. The Irish and especially the Scots is doing shopping in SA. We have such a big pool of very talented players that they will sign them and offer them big money. With how hard it has become to be a Bok, many would jump the divide in search of international honours in their future. Who should be shopping in SA is the Wallabies. They sure need it. SA produces brutes with the skills of backlines. We would definitely suffer with these rules. It's just become so much easier pilfering talent. If Wales is clever, they will snap up Cameron Hanekom before he gets a turn in the Bok squad, because if he gets his turn, that jersey is his. Currently there is so much depth in SA, so many will come shopping. Go to school derbies, and you will see what I'm talking about. There is so many scouts from different countries. Like flies. Who will hook the next big fish? The same holds true for NZ. They may lose a lot of players, especially since SR have become a wasted competition. Don't forget about the Americans. With 3031 WC going that way, they will come knocking and they have the money. They have been importing South Africans in the past 5 years or so. With Heyneke Meyer playing a huge role in that. He loves his South Africans and many young talented guns playing in the MLR. We will definitely lose a lot of players

    S
    SteveD 234 days ago

    You really don't get it do you. If you're so worried about SA players going overseas - as they have been for 'n moer of a long time - then get the professional teams here to pay a bit more money. And - thanks to Rassie - overseas players are available for the Boks anyway so the national team is fine. Nope, what is happening now is fantastic for rugby union in general and our players in particular. The great effect they have had on the game is amazing and long may it last.

    J
    JW 234 days ago

    Nothing you said is relevant to this article.


    What will be interesting to know is that if a SA'n plays for 3 or 4 months in the MLR for instance, then returns home for say the CC or even just a day job/family, will WR still term his time in America as a 'credible' link and eventually become eligible for USA?


    That is the only change. There is just a little more freedom for a player who has their professional contract overseas, to come home or go on holiday outside that country for more than a couple of months every year. It's a very good change especially when considering the overheads it required of teir 2 and 3 eruopean or oceana countries etc.

    H
    HU 234 days ago

    first, if RSA was so flooded with talent, they would perhaps fare better at the Junior World Cups ...... (I do see the pool, but others seem to have talent as well)

    second: there are at least 30-40 players per decade who will become regular Boks - those will perhaps be rather reluctant joining the US-team or even Wales, as there will hardly be any titles to win (maybe a Six Nations once every decade) - there are a few South Africans in the Scottish or Japanese team, but frankly none of them (and I don't think even Duhan) would be named in a RWC-squad for RSA .....


    I am happy for the second tier Saffers getting a chance to play test rugby

    b
    by 234 days ago

    This may weaken several international teams.

    Maybe SA and Argentina not so?

    J
    JW 234 days ago

    It won't make any change to teams. If you read the article, it is just to make admin easier.


    No doubt say a player playing in Portugal or Spain (really a smaller country from how the article depicts it, but you get it as an example) crosses the boarder to France or the channel back to England and doesn't realise that had made their residency invalid. They may even have say selected a French player and then their opposition lodges a complaint because they know that player spent a season (2 or 3 months) playing domestically in their own country, or perhaps earned a joker contract in the Top 14. The sort of thing that didn't stop them from playing every year in their adopted country but immediately made them ineligible for it.


    Then theres also the secondary case of a player going "ive been asked to come fill in for Toulouse as their medical joker, can I still remain eligible for my new country while going over to France?" and being told, "no, you can't take up that awesome opportunity in France", and having to turn down life changing opportunities just because of strict WR eligibility criteria.


    IDK for sure, i'm not involved in that process, just putting things together.

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    J
    JW 4 hours ago
    French bid to poach 109kg 17-year-old dual-code Aussie prospect Heinz Lemoto

    Yes that’s what WR needs to look at. Football had the same problem with european powerhouses getting all the latin talent then you’re gaurenteed to get the odd late bloomer (21/22 etc, all the best footballers can play for the country much younger to get locked) star changing his allegiance.


    They used youth rep selection for locking national elifibilty at one point etc. Then later only counted residency after the age of 18 (make clubs/nations like in this case wait even longer).


    That’s what I’m talking about, not changing allegiance in rugby (were it can only be captured by the senior side), where it is still the senior side. Oh yeah, good point about CJ, so in most cases we probably want kids to be able to switch allegiance, were say someone like Lemoto could rep Tonga (if he wasn’t so good) but still play for Australia’s seniors, while in someone like Kite’s (the last aussie kid to go to France) case he’ll be French qualified via 5 years residency at the age of 21, so France to lock him up before Aussie even get a chance to select him. But if we use footballs regulations, who I’m suggesting WR need to get their a into g replicating, he would only start his 5 years once he turns 18 or whatever, meaning 23 yo is as soon as anyone can switch, and when if they’re good enough teams like NZ and Aus can select them (France don’t give a f, they select anybody just to lock them).

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    JW 4 hours ago
    Kyren Taumoefolau All Blacks stance splits opinions on eligibility

    The only benefit of the draft idea is league competitiveness. There would be absolutely no commercial value in a draft with rugby’s current interest levels.


    I wonder what came first in america? I’m assuming it’s commercial aspect just built overtime and was a side effect essentially.


    But the idea is not without merit as a goal. The first step towards being able to implement a draft being be creating it’s source of draftees. Where would you have the players come from? NFL uses college, and players of an age around 22 are generally able to step straight into the NFL. Baseball uses School and kids (obviously nowhere near pro level being 3/4 years younger) are sent to minor league clubs for a few years, the equivalent of the Super Rugby academies. I don’t think the latter is possible legally, and probably the most unethical and pointless, so do we create a University scene that builds on and up from the School scene? There is a lot of merit in that and it would tie in much better with our future partners in Japan and America.


    Can we used the club scene and dispose of the Super Rugby academies? The benefit of this is that players have no association to their Super side, ie theyre not being drafted elshwere after spending time as a Blues or Chiefs player etc, it removes the negative of investing in a player just to benefit another club. The disadvantage of course is that now the players have nowhere near the quality of coaching and each countries U20s results will suffer (supposedly).


    Or are we just doing something really dirty and making a rule that the only players under the age of 22 (that can sign a pro contract..) that a Super side can contract are those that come from the draft? Any player wanting to upgrade from an academy to full contract has to opt into the draft?

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