G
GimleyUK
Guest
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE IRB's RULES ON NATIONAL SELECTION ???
DO YOU FEEL YOUR COUNTRY OR OTHER COUNTRIES ARE FAIRLY REPRESENTED BY THE SELECTION OF PLAYERS THAT REPRESENT THAT COUNTRIES NATIONAL TEAMS ???
Incase you are unaware of our strange rules of National Patronage in Rugby, I have tried to explain a little about it and its history. Its controversy has wrangled the game as long as we have played International Rugby.
Every National Team can be accused of playing Legally Qualified players that are not born of the country they represent, recent arguments have been raised around Ricky Flutey possibly playing for the Lions, when he played for the New Zealand Maoris and defeated the Lions when they toured New Zealand 2005. Raising very mixed opinions on 606 to Flutey's situation.
New Zealand itself have often fielded players who were also qualified for Fiji, Samoa, Tonga by birth, as do Australia. France have selected Kiwis, South Afriacan's and many Basque, Romanian and Polish players before.
Wales and Scotland at one point actually advertised for foreign Welsh or Scottish Qualified players to come to The UK and play top class rugby.
After the "Granny-gate" controversy, revolving around Welsh Players Brett Sinkinson and Shane Howarth, who played international rugby for Wales in the late 1990's, the IRB changed the ruling that if you had previously played for one nation at an adult representative level, could not play International rugby for another Nation afterwards.
Shane Howarth had been capped by New Zealand and was later capped by Wales. Brett Sinkinson and Shane Howarth both claimed to have Grandmothers that originated from Wales, and were proved wrong by the Welsh Press. Therefor they had to retire from International Rugby after "Granny-Gate"'s resultant change of the IRB's Rules on National Qualification.
Qualification for representing a National team is based on a players entitlement. They must prove if questioned either three years residency, or Parental connections. Should one of a players grandparents have been a citizen of a certain country, that player is eligible to represent that country.
Brent Cockbain was born in Australia, his brother Matt played for Australia, their Parents are Welsh and therefor either of them could have played for Wales or Australia, should they have been picked to do so.
Lesley Vainikolo, the Tongan born former New Zealand Rugby League International, qualified to be capped by England, having played rugby league in the UK for six years previous to his switch to Union. He qualifies by having over three years of residency in England.
It is a situation that has been part of Rugby history since the origins of the national game, Russian Prince Alexander Obolensky played rugby for England. His first cap in the 1936, 13-0 victory over the All Blacks which i think he scored a try, was a massive controversy in the Kiwi and British Press, as "THE PRINCE" had not, at that time, become a British citizen.
by the way....!
It appears that the South Africans ( who have there own predicament with National selection, but this due the the Countries Post-Apartheid political intervention), have the least history of selecting players born outside of South Africa.
PS yes this is a copy and paste off 606... i think its an interesting question, 606 is full of morons...! so i stole it...
DO YOU FEEL YOUR COUNTRY OR OTHER COUNTRIES ARE FAIRLY REPRESENTED BY THE SELECTION OF PLAYERS THAT REPRESENT THAT COUNTRIES NATIONAL TEAMS ???
Incase you are unaware of our strange rules of National Patronage in Rugby, I have tried to explain a little about it and its history. Its controversy has wrangled the game as long as we have played International Rugby.
Every National Team can be accused of playing Legally Qualified players that are not born of the country they represent, recent arguments have been raised around Ricky Flutey possibly playing for the Lions, when he played for the New Zealand Maoris and defeated the Lions when they toured New Zealand 2005. Raising very mixed opinions on 606 to Flutey's situation.
New Zealand itself have often fielded players who were also qualified for Fiji, Samoa, Tonga by birth, as do Australia. France have selected Kiwis, South Afriacan's and many Basque, Romanian and Polish players before.
Wales and Scotland at one point actually advertised for foreign Welsh or Scottish Qualified players to come to The UK and play top class rugby.
After the "Granny-gate" controversy, revolving around Welsh Players Brett Sinkinson and Shane Howarth, who played international rugby for Wales in the late 1990's, the IRB changed the ruling that if you had previously played for one nation at an adult representative level, could not play International rugby for another Nation afterwards.
Shane Howarth had been capped by New Zealand and was later capped by Wales. Brett Sinkinson and Shane Howarth both claimed to have Grandmothers that originated from Wales, and were proved wrong by the Welsh Press. Therefor they had to retire from International Rugby after "Granny-Gate"'s resultant change of the IRB's Rules on National Qualification.
Qualification for representing a National team is based on a players entitlement. They must prove if questioned either three years residency, or Parental connections. Should one of a players grandparents have been a citizen of a certain country, that player is eligible to represent that country.
Brent Cockbain was born in Australia, his brother Matt played for Australia, their Parents are Welsh and therefor either of them could have played for Wales or Australia, should they have been picked to do so.
Lesley Vainikolo, the Tongan born former New Zealand Rugby League International, qualified to be capped by England, having played rugby league in the UK for six years previous to his switch to Union. He qualifies by having over three years of residency in England.
It is a situation that has been part of Rugby history since the origins of the national game, Russian Prince Alexander Obolensky played rugby for England. His first cap in the 1936, 13-0 victory over the All Blacks which i think he scored a try, was a massive controversy in the Kiwi and British Press, as "THE PRINCE" had not, at that time, become a British citizen.
by the way....!
It appears that the South Africans ( who have there own predicament with National selection, but this due the the Countries Post-Apartheid political intervention), have the least history of selecting players born outside of South Africa.
PS yes this is a copy and paste off 606... i think its an interesting question, 606 is full of morons...! so i stole it...
