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Player eligibility

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Greg Davis (50)
It should be restricted to you being born there - maybe parents. Grand parents is a ridiculous qualification standard for your first or second country
I think grandparents have a significant input into a child's cultural awareness.

I work with quite a few younger people (18-25) whose parents were born in Australia but there grandparents are from NZ or Pacific Islands. Most of them have tribal tattoos from there grandparents home country.

Many children spend a significant period of time with grandparents so I think it is reasonable that they may have strong bonds to a country that they and their parents were not born in.
 

waiopehu oldboy

Stirling Mortlock (74)
I have no problem with the grandparenting of eligibility for say Scotland or Samoa, but if you then want to stand down & qualify for a different country then that should only be for your country of birth. So Malakai Fekitoa playing for Tonga is fine by me but Lima Sopoaga playing for Samoa isn't: at the end of the day if he really wanted to play for Samoa he could've done so as a heritage player but having chosen NZ instead then bailing for more money I'm sorry but that's the road he chose & he should have to stay on it.

Edit: not having a crack at Sopoaga, his was just the first name that came to mind - could also have used Luatua, Piutau or Augustine Pulu to name but another three. Similarly could've used Vai'a Fifita in place of Fekitoa.
 
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Wilson

David Codey (61)
No. There's nothing in the eligibility rules regarding that to my knowledge.

The eligibility is country of birth, country of birth of your parents, country of birth of your grandparents, 5 year residency or 10 year cumulative residency.
Wild, I always thought it was there but I must have been thinking of state of origin. Seems like a no brainer to include.
 

Wilson

David Codey (61)
^ even if the parent qualified by residency only? Seems a tad tenuous to me.
If they played for the side they played for them. Not sure why the path to qualification matters at that point. Having a parent that represented a certain country is arguably a stronger link then having one born there - to use the Steven Moore example from before, if he had kids born overseas would they be more closely linked to Australia (who he played 129 tests for) or Saudi Arabia (where he was born)?
 

waiopehu oldboy

Stirling Mortlock (74)
^ I'm guessing at least one of Moore's parents were born in Aus? In which case the grandparent rule applies.

Edit: seems both were Irish so, sorry, but it's Ireland or Saudi for Moore minor(s) if not themselves born in Aus.
 
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RugbyReg

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
I believe Joe Powell could play for Ireland as soon as it all kicks in. Irish grand parent. 3 years out of wallaby team
 

Adam84

Nick Farr-Jones (63)
I wonder if Kerevi would have turned out for the Wallabies this year if this rule had existed in July. Quade Cooper could have switched to New Zealand.

I was a supporter of a rule change, i think they might have got the balance wrong here though. I think there should have been provisions about a number of max number of caps a player could have before ruling him out of changing teams, and potentially only transferring to a Tier 2 team and not a Tier 1.

Personally i think the rule should have only allowed for place of birth, be allowed for players with less then 25 caps, and only allow transfer to a Tier 2 or 3 team.
 

RugbyReg

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
Anyone need a big bullocking No 8?

50AF2272-BA9A-4CB9-ACE8-40EBE78017E1.png
 

Lindommer

Steve Williams (59)
Staff member
We'd have him in a heartbeat. But, this Harrow place, what is it, some agricultural training ground or other? Let's be bloody sure he can drive a tractor.......
 
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Hogie

Allen Oxlade (6)
So in theory at 2023 RWC a Wallabies line up could be:

1. Ala'alatoa 2. Fainga'a 3. Sio 4. Hosea 5. Salakaia Loto 6. Leota 7. Samu 8. Valetini 9.Fines-Leleiwasa 10. Lolesio 11. Koroibete 12. To'omua 13. Ikitau 14. Petaia 15. Nawaqanitawase

Exception of Korobiete (who has lived in Australia for ten years and 40 Wallaby caps) all above players were born in Australia The result of this eligibility change is in theory all of above players could technically play for another country in 2027 RWC...

Appreciate a few of the selections may be a little out of left field but demonstrating how this change will impact Australia moving forward. I understand the reasoning behind this change, and in principle I am on board, but can see the international scene becoming more like a club competition with plenty of player nationality changes. 3 year stand down period in my opinion is not long enough.
 

Dismal Pillock

Simon Poidevin (60)
Nevermind all this.....


.....at the end there's this:
Charles Piutau, the outstanding Bristol Bears fullback, who last represented the All Blacks before the 2015 World Cup and has also expressed his desire to switch allegiances to Tonga.

All Blacks Malakai Fekitoa, Vaea Fifita and Seta Tamanivalu are also eligible for Tonga.
 

Wilson

David Codey (61)
Nevermind all this.....


.....at the end there's this:
Fekitoa has already made the switch via 7s I think.

Tamanivalu is Fijian and I thought that's who he was interested in swapping to:
 
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