Lima Sopoaga would 'love' to play international rugby for Samoa

[Rossm]

By Bobby Bridge:

https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/rugby/rugby-world-cup-news-wasps-17043863

Podcast :

https://podtail.com/podcast/third-phase/

[Shugs]

Can't see that players switching international teams once they've already earned full caps could possibly work. It certainly wouldn't help the Pacific Islanders who would be flooded with a load of thirtysomething NZ rejects.

[Hymenoptera]

With a team that could poss beat the best I dont see any downside, serious profile raiser if you ask me. The current setup isn't working, you can't expect different results by doing the same thing.

Lima, Charles P, Steve Luitua to name just a few..none of them are even 30

[BG]

If a player has earned a senior cap for one country can they then represent another country?

For example.. what if Brad had earned one cap for NZ.. then moved to England and because of his parents qualified for England selection. Or does earning a cap for one country exclude you from representing another.. or are there special rules that can be used to qualify.. like an extended residency period or even applying for citizenship of the new country?

I don't want it to become like some sports (athletics) where athletes are fast tracked to represent another country simply to be able to take part in a global sporting event (and in all likelihood never stepping one foot in the newly adopted country)

[Heathen]

If a player has earned a senior cap for one country can they then represent another country?

For example.. what if Brad had earned one cap for NZ.. then moved to England and because of his parents qualified for England selection. Or does earning a cap for one country exclude you from representing another.. or are there special rules that can be used to qualify.. like an extended residency period or even applying for citizenship of the new country?

I don't want it to become like some sports (athletics) where athletes are fast tracked to represent another country simply to be able to take part in a global sporting event (and in all likelihood never stepping one foot in the newly adopted country)

Project players are nothing new. 3 year residency required (and not having played for any other nation.)

[BG]

Hasn't the residency period now gone up to 5 yrs?

[King Prawn Phuna]

Rugby World did an authoritative piece a few weeks ago....with one cap you are 'captured'

https://www.rugbyworld.com/news/rugbys-international-eligibility-rules-90995

 

[baldpaul101]

whats being suggested is that where a player has played for a tier 1 nation, then gone off their radar & not featured for a period of time, why should they not be able to be picked by a Tier 2 nation for which they would have qualified if they hadn't played for a tier 1.

I believe it has broad support in the Island nations who have lost great players for good to tier 1 teams for just a cap or two.
Dan Leo & the Pacific Rugby Players Welfare organisation seem keen.....

[BG]

Rugby World did an authoritative piece a few weeks ago....with one cap you are 'captured'

https://www.rugbyworld.com/news/rugbys-international-eligibility-rules-90995

Thank you KPP (and best of luck for this season).

The rules seem very grey as it appears its slightly depends on who you are playing against but that appears to cover U18 and U20 level and not anything after that.

From reading the rules it looks like you can represent a country at U20 but can then represent another country as long as you pass the main rules.. but.. and this is where it gets really complicated.. if you're named within a development senior squad whilst U18 or U20.. you can't move anywhere.. which comes across to me like Tier 1 countries covering all corners of the table.

It must be a massive decision to make when you're 18 or 20 (I can't see many players appying for a citizenship change).

I wonder how many players represented one home nation at 18 or 20 and then went on to play for another

[Brandnewtorugby]

Didn't Gary Graham do this?

[westwaleswasp]

Iirc the whole capturing thing without caps is different for different countries, depending on if the u20 is nominated. I think for Wales playing u20 locks you in, but for England it doesn't and the Saxons do. Does that still apply?

I don't really want players playing for two counties having been capped for one to be honest. It might be better than what we have now, but what the game urgently needs is for Pacific islands to find it financially rewarding to play for Samoa or Tonga. So that Lima et al can make as much for the country they want to as they can for the ABs.

Lions tours need to be expanded, that fat wad of tourist cash the SH looks forward to  needs to be shared. Lions tours should have a Pacific island full test match every tour. Big NH teams need to find time to put money and time into the Pacific Islands, Uruguay et al, even if that means fewer big 3 matches. We cannot just rely on sevens to further the game. Hell HQ could stage a double header - who fancies Georgia vs Tonga as a warm up to Eng Aus or whatever? With a share of the profits distributed accordingly.Just like we do with the women's games. Such teams might also reestablish old style midweek tour games.


Tier two matches at HQ need more cash going to those who need it. Balls to the ABs, Aussies et al demanding massive amounts of money to play matches outside of the window.

There are so many petty rivalries, a cash strapped RFU, and vested interests everywhere, but let us face it, the whole system sucks, and is designed to keep tier two down.

[Hymenoptera]

Its not all about cash. Samoa got cash, look how that turned out.

Its about raising the level of contribution and result.If these guys serve a 4 year period out of the AB fold, they will never represent the AB's again, why shouldn't they and their home nations have the opportunity to play again.

At the end of the day who loses out?

[Shugs]

Its not all about cash. Samoa got cash, look how that turned out.

Its about raising the level of contribution and result.If these guys serve a 4 year period out of the AB fold, they will never represent the AB's again, why shouldn't they and their home nations have the opportunity to play again.

At the end of the day who loses out?

Personally I think the integrity of the international game loses out. Where does it end? If someone performs so well can they go back to the tier 1 nation? Can people summararily move the other way i.e. A 21 year old Tongan does well and gets promoted to a tier 1 team. The notion that the Piatau's and Luatua's will suddenly pitch up for a Pacific island team is a bit fanciful for me. The main reason they've given up their chance to play for NZ is cash. They're unlikely to give that up having already sacrificed a tier 1 opportunity to get it.

[westwaleswasp]

Shugs nails it in line one, although I totally accept it is not all about cash, that is very true- perhaps I oversimplified on my original post. WR have to take a lead and infrastructure needs to be in place to make people from Samoa want to choose them over the ABs
To represent two countries just devalues the notion of representing your country, and I say that as someone who has reason to have allegiance to more than one.
I guess what I am saying is CP and LS etc. should not really have represented the ABs in the first place if this is how they feel, and I guess if the rewards were equal, it is fair to ask if they would ever have done so...

I think it is fair to suggest that Samoa and Fiji would have been able rival tier one nations with the right infrastructure and backing, had it been provided....

[Hymenoptera]

For me personally, it doesn't devalue it any more than someone like Heinz, who rocks up as Kiwi as a green fruit and represents England.
Nor devalue it more than funding Samoa's development only for the money to seep out through theft and corruption. They are both farcical.

If LS as en example, has decided to take the cash at Wasps and forfeited his right to represent the AB's then after a period of time, he should be allowed to represent Samoa ( or whomever).

I'm solely looking for a better solution to what's in place and let's be honest, it would be limited to the 2nd tier nations, tier 1 have enough talent that it wouldn't even ripple. It has to be better than throwing money down the drain of corruption. What's in place doesn't work, its been proven time again, its time for a radical change.
Like I asked originally, who would be the loser? Not Samoa, not LS, not the rugby public...