Eligibility back on the agenda

semper

@taniwharugby said in Eligibility back on the agenda:

@semper what a school boy vs a guy in his 20's and already a pro rugby player, righto.

I wonder why they dont tie schoolboys to the country they play for at 7s or 15s...

Presumably because as a kid you have diminished decision making capacity?

taniwharugby

@semper and yet you are comparing the 2 situations saying there is no substantiative difference?

semper

@booboo said in Eligibility back on the agenda:

@semper said in Eligibility back on the agenda:

@taniwharugby said in Eligibility back on the agenda:

@semper Aki was already a professional rugby player, unattached to any nation when he went to Ireland, Fekitoa was a school boy when he came to NZ, at which time he was a good 4+years off being eligible...that is a substantial difference I'd of thought?

@taniwharugby said in Eligibility back on the agenda:

@semper Aki was already a professional rugby player, unattached to any nation when he went to Ireland, Fekitoa was a school boy when he came to NZ, at which time he was a good 4+years off being ...that is a substantial difference I'd of thought?

So one is about a kid being moved from their home place to ...

Hmmm ... That language is reminiscent of the type of argument used around poaching in the 00s. Fekitoa was not forced to move. Seems indicative of an in grained attitude.

No one said he was forced to move and it has worked out very well for him.

As a rule I think moving youngsters around to play rugby or soccer or Aussie rules isn't in their general best interests - they've about 50 years to live after they stop playing sport and a proper education will help them more in the vast majority of cases.

semper

@taniwharugby said in Eligibility back on the agenda:

@semper and yet you are comparing the 2 situations saying there is no substantiative difference?

A fair point, but a reason why schooling should not count towards residency in either the actuality or the subsequent justifications?

I'm also interested in the three years after school where he was on various rugby contracts by bodies controlled by the NZRFU. Do you think that Fekitoa would have, prior to getting residncy

(A) Received exactly the same contracts if he had declared for Tonga;

(B) received a better one if he had declared for Tonga; or

(C) received a worse one if he had played for Tonga?

In the case of Aki, if he was to announce tomorrow he was to play for another country, he would probably receive the same contract from Connacht but would be operating under a system where he would only have a two year horizon before being moved on.

taniwharugby

@semper who knows, it is all hypothetical, plus some use that pathway of getting into super rugby, get the exposure for a big Euro contract too.

NZ Rugby has had plenty of players over the years that have forged out careers in NPC and Super rugby while playing for another country early on.

kiwiinmelb

@semper said in Eligibility back on the agenda:

@kiwiinmelb said in Eligibility back on the agenda:

I see the difference as
(a)
to deliberately look overseas for players ,

(B) And to pick players in your backyard that are already there ,

While (b) still needs looking at with guys that are questionable , to poach from another country is on another level ,

In the case of (a) it is a flow of players who can't play with better rugby countries to weaker rugby countries and in the case of (b) it is a flow of players from weaker rugby countries to better rugby countries.

One is intentional and the other apparently is not, although I suspect the NZRFU were as knees deep in Fekitoa's contract with Highlanders as anything the IRFU have done.

My point was different levels of being morally wrong , both wrong though , and both need to be looked at .
Most in NZ welcome the idea of eligibility rules being tightened , maybe if our depth wasn't great you would see some opposition to that , I'm not sure , but the general feeling here is it needs to be tighter, we welcome it .

semper

@taniwharugby said in Eligibility back on the agenda:

@semper who knows, it is all hypothetical, plus some use that pathway of getting into super rugby, get the exposure for a big Euro contract too.

NZ Rugby has had plenty of players over the years that have forged out careers in NPC and Super rugby while playing for another country early on.

Hmmm. I just find the unwillingness to see any issues with players like Fekitoa in the national team odd. There seems to be a defensiveness about this whole topic that in unwarranted.

The only person who seems willing to acknowledge any issue is MajorRage.

booboo

Can I flick back on topic here for a sec rather than arguing semantics about who is the moe egregious poacher (when it's obviously Ireland).

The fact that we're having this argument at all confirms the system is currently open to abuse.

It needs tightening up and even if the full raft of changes don't come in this time any tightening is a move in the right direction and we can hope additional rrestrictions get added incrementally.

Also, @semper with regard to passport/citizenship whilst I agree with your intent i can see thst open to abuse where rules are bent. Add it as a criterria to the criteria set by WR but not as the single qualifying standard.

semper

@kiwiinmelb said in Eligibility back on the agenda:

@semper said in Eligibility back on the agenda:

@kiwiinmelb said in Eligibility back on the agenda:

I see the difference as
(a)
to deliberately look overseas for players ,

(B) And to pick players in your backyard that are already there ,

While (b) still needs looking at with guys that are questionable , to poach from another country is on another level ,

In the case of (a) it is a flow of players who can't play with better rugby countries to weaker rugby countries and in the case of (b) it is a flow of players from weaker rugby countries to better rugby countries.

One is intentional and the other apparently is not, although I suspect the NZRFU were as knees deep in Fekitoa's contract with Highlanders as anything the IRFU have done.

My point was different levels of being morally wrong , both wrong though , and both need to be looked at .
Most in NZ welcome the idea of eligibility rules being tightened , maybe if our depth wasn't great you would see some opposition to that , I'm not sure , but the general feeling here is it needs to be tighter, we welcome it .

A very fair point. You would find few people in other rugby countries unwilling to engage with such an approach and rationale.

booboo

@semper said in Eligibility back on the agenda:

@booboo said in Eligibility back on the agenda:

@semper said in Eligibility back on the agenda:

@taniwharugby said in Eligibility back on the agenda:

@semper Aki was already a professional rugby player, unattached to any nation when he went to Ireland, Fekitoa was a school boy when he came to NZ, at which time he was a good 4+years off being eligible...that is a substantial difference I'd of thought?

@taniwharugby said in Eligibility back on the agenda:

@semper Aki was already a professional rugby player, unattached to any nation when he went to Ireland, Fekitoa was a school boy when he came to NZ, at which time he was a good 4+years off being ...that is a substantial difference I'd of thought?

So one is about a kid being moved from their home place to ...

Hmmm ... That language is reminiscent of the type of argument used around poaching in the 00s. Fekitoa was not forced to move. Seems indicative of an in grained attitude.

No one said he was forced to move and it has worked out very well for him.

As a rule I think moving youngsters around to play rugby or soccer or Aussie rules isn't in their general best interests - they've about 50 years to live after they stop playing sport and a proper education will help them more in the vast majority of cases.

"being moved" suggests someone is impelling him to do so. "moving" would have been more appropriate if you didn't want to give the impression that he was being forced.

taniwharugby

@semper I never said I was comfortable or uncomfortable with the likes of Fekitoa, Tamanivalu or Sivivatu before him, that wasnt the point you made iniitially that I responded to.

semper

Also, @semper with regard to passport/citizenship whilst I agree with your intent i can see thst open to abuse where rules are bent. Add it as a criterria to the criteria set by WR but not as the single qualifying standard.

3 years adult residency and a passport;
Birth;
Parent born in the country and holding a passport;
Grandparent born in the country and holding a passport.

UK countries use the same principles as in soccer.

semper

@booboo said in Eligibility back on the agenda:

@semper said in Eligibility back on the agenda:

@booboo said in Eligibility back on the agenda:

@semper said in Eligibility back on the agenda:

@taniwharugby said in Eligibility back on the agenda:

@semper Aki was already a professional rugby player, unattached to any nation when he went to Ireland, Fekitoa was a school boy when he came to NZ, at which time he was a good 4+years off being eligible...that is a substantial difference I'd of thought?

@taniwharugby said in Eligibility back on the agenda:

@semper Aki was already a professional rugby player, unattached to any nation when he went to Ireland, Fekitoa was a school boy when he came to NZ, at which time he was a good 4+years off being ...that is a substantial difference I'd of thought?

So one is about a kid being moved from their home place to ...

Hmmm ... That language is reminiscent of the type of argument used around poaching in the 00s. Fekitoa was not forced to move. Seems indicative of an in grained attitude.

No one said he was forced to move and it has worked out very well for him.

As a rule I think moving youngsters around to play rugby or soccer or Aussie rules isn't in their general best interests - they've about 50 years to live after they stop playing sport and a proper education will help them more in the vast majority of cases.

"being moved" suggests someone is impelling him to do so. "moving" would have been more appropriate if you didn't want to give the impression that he was being forced.

Fair enough.

booboo

@semper said in Eligibility back on the agenda:

Also, @semper with regard to passport/citizenship whilst I agree with your intent i can see thst open to abuse where rules are bent. Add it as a criterria to the criteria set by WR but not as the single qualifying standard.

3 years adult residency and a passport;
Birth;
Parent born in the country and holding a passport;
Grandparent born in the country and holding a passport.

UK countries use the same principles as in soccer.

Yes. But make it 5 years

rotated

@semper said in Eligibility back on the agenda:
I suspect the NZRFU were as knees deep in Fekitoa's contract with Highlanders as anything the IRFU have done.

You suspect wrong. For a kid who was MVP of the national 7s tournament in 2012 he didn't get a Super contract until 2013. That contract was with the Blues and he got absolutely no support from his own franchise coaches let a lone the national set up. Went to the Clan and things started from there.

semper

@booboo no problem for me.

rotated

@semper said in Eligibility back on the agenda:

I'm also interested in the three years after school where he was on various rugby contracts by bodies controlled by the NZRFU. Do you think that Fekitoa would have, prior to getting residncy

(A) Received exactly the same contracts if he had declared for Tonga;

(B) received a better one if he had declared for Tonga; or

(C) received a worse one if he had played for Tonga?

In the case of Aki, if he was to announce tomorrow he was to play for another country, he would probably receive the same contract from Connacht but would be operating under a system where he would only have a two year horizon before being moved on.

A) Yes. Of course he would be ineligible to be central contacted - but there have been ineligible players that have made the max at Super and Mitre 10 Cup level. The problem is that max is ~$230k Super Rugby + ~$75k for Mitre 10 Cup. You have no way to double that by making the ABs with a central contact or match payments, nor Maori ABs etc.

So he would be in a position where he is earning ~$300k here, but could be paid double that in Europe and use his Tongan passport do get around the international restrictions. So that's why they leave. They don't leave because their $200k Super contract is cut in half after declaring. It's because they stop sacrificing in hope/dream of playing for NZ.

It's the lack of opportunities that will do them in here though. By declaring for another nation he would be ineligible for the two quickest ways to go from rookie to top paid player - the ABs and 7s and a lesser extent the JABs and Maori.

So if we take Anton Leinart Brown for example. If he is ineligible for the ABs he misses the last 6 months of opportunities that have taken him from a name on the sheet in Super Rugby to someone who can likely command the max Super Rugby contact. Playing for Tonga in a couple of EOYT games against Canada, Scotland and Georgia plus half an ITM Cup season can't build the resume as quick.

Quicker answer would be Nanai-Williams and Osbourne did not appear to take pay cuts after declaring for other nations after being on the fringes of the ABs.

antipodean

@booboo said in Eligibility back on the agenda:

@semper said in Eligibility back on the agenda:

Also, @semper with regard to passport/citizenship whilst I agree with your intent i can see thst open to abuse where rules are bent. Add it as a criterria to the criteria set by WR but not as the single qualifying standard.

3 years adult residency and a passport;
Birth;
Parent born in the country and holding a passport;
Grandparent born in the country and holding a passport.

UK countries use the same principles as in soccer.

Yes. But make it 5 years

Four years - miss a RWC cycle. Adopting a no grandparent rule will impact the PI Islands in the short term.

@semper said in Eligibility back on the agenda:

@antipodean said in Eligibility back on the agenda:

@semper said in Eligibility back on the agenda:

No. Fekitoa's scholarship made no difference to his eligibility to play for NZ. He was ineligible. He only became eligible because he was given three years of professional work in NZ - he got a significant portion of that work from two Super Rugby teams.

The NZR actually provides professional pathways for PI eligible players.

Ah. My apologies. If Fekitoa had played for Tonga in 2013 it would have made no odds to his future in New Zealand rugby.

Agreed. Didn't hurt Nadolo.

Rapido

On the minor part of the discussion a few pages back, in university scholarships.

I doubt any restrictions apply, and are included in case someone is 18 and on a uni scholarship.

The reason for me thinking this is relationship there appears to be with Tongans at Japanese universities. Eg Moekiola at this years u20 World Cup.

No hard facts, just assumptions.
Plus it would be ridiculous for any body to assess a 19 year old in residence because of uni to be 'wrong' but a 19 year old in residence because of an academy or full time rugby contract to be 'right'.

Calf

How about:

scrap the one country only rule
every player has to declare for a country at 18/20 (if they don't declare then they are deemed to declare for their birth nation)
three year stand down to switch country
new country has to pay old country a transfer fee. Transfer fee would depend on IRB ranking (with the top ranked teams paying a lot)

Basically make it a very expensive for tier one unions to recruit offshore.

The Silver Fern

Eligibility back on the agenda