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Change it from residency to citizenship and there is no problem.
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
But does citizenship mean you can no longer play for the nation you have left.
Let's say sonny bill starts playing in australia (I guess the tahs are the only team who can afford him without the rort being discovered) and decides to get citizenship. Does that disqualify him from playing for the AllBlacks and if so does that mean he retires or can he play for the Wallabies?
C'mon the
I agree with the citizenship idea, but would insist that no short-cuts can be taken (cf Zola Budd or certain Qatari athletes who used to compete for Ethiopia).
I'd say once you play for a top tier country you can't play for another top tier country. However, to stop countries giving a single cap and then tying a player up for life, if you've played less than, say, 5-10 tests for a top tier country you can move to a lesser country.
Yeah.... I see any system as fraught with loopholes, there could be an excellent case for going back to the good old days of you play where you live Topo Rodriguez springs to mind.....who would call him not a genuine Wallaby?
C'mon the
Someone with a death wish...
I think if you wish to play for a country you hould be prepared to be a citizen of that country, no parent/grandparent/fifthuncletwiceremoved eligibility crap.
If you aren't good enough then join the masses who also wish they were good enough.
One thing the US have right in my opinion is no duel citizenship.
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
1. Since you're so interested do the sums for the Wallabies and Welsh BOTH for either the squad OR the 15
2. The Samoans would not need to select so many 2nd rate Kiwis if all the Samoan born AB's, Wallabies, Englishmen etc were allowed to go back and represent their country when they are no longer required. That is what makes the whole eligibility thing such a bad joke.
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Soccer has a 5 year residency requirement as opposed to rugby's 3 years - that would push it out beyond the World Cup cycle and weed out some of the 'mercenaries'.
That would be a good option.
But then you'd need rules about citizenship and/or residency being 5 consecutive years but not necessarily being current.
Rory (sp) Murphy from the Brumbies and I think Mark Swanepoel have each spent over 5 years in Australian but neither would be eligibile for the Wallabies.
Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
Ruiadry (i think)
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The Swanpoele (sic) situation is ludicrous. He qualified FFS so don't redesignate him.
On mercs etc. has to be citizenship. And one cap don't cut it, got to be at least 5, more like 10. And 1st XV not rubbish like sevens. David Smith should be allowed to play rugby, that's ludicrous with him.
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