Changes to provincial teams player qualifications

First topic message reminder :

http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/25137.php

In short here's the juicy bits:

- One non-Irish eligible (NIE) player only in each of the 15 field positions across the provinces of Leinster, Munster and Ulster e.g. one foreign player allowed across all three teams per position.*
- For the 2013/14 season and onwards, for any given position involving a contracted NIE player, a province will not be permitted to renew that NIE player contract or bring in a new NIE player into that same position in its squad.
- All future provincial injury replacement players must be eligible for selection for Ireland.
- All future provincial non-Irish eligible player contracts will be position specific.

* The Connacht professional side is external to this process as it has recently commenced a new programme of structural and performance development agreed with the IRFU.

Ok, to be honest I had to read that a few times before I could even understand it. And now that I've read it I'm asking myself if I really do understand it.

From what I can make out:

Point 1 states that if, for example, Ulster have an NIE scrum half, then Munster and Leinster must have IE scrum halves. Not just in the team, but the entire squad.

Correct me if I'm wrong. Is that what point 1 is saying? I'm having trouble reading it any other way. So on the plus side we will no longer have the situation where every prop on the island is NIE. Ok, that's good, I guess. Now... who gets to decide who is giving up their props? Who gets to keep the NIE one?

Point 2 states that once an NIE players contract is up, they're gone. And the next player in must be IE

Goodbye Douggie Howlett, nice to have known ya, now get lost. No new contracts.

Very stupid decision. Teams will either offer ludicrously long contracts to keep the likes of Howlett and Nacewa, or they'll offer normal contracts and either break the bank to get marquee players, or they'll make offers and get snubbed. In the end this policy is an incentive to go for uncapped foreign players who will become IE after 3 years, so if you offer them a 3 year contract as an NIE, as soon as their contract expires they are IE and can renew. This is strengthening the 'project player' approach, I don't like that. Fans love Nacewa, Pienaar and Howlett and the IRFU are biting off their nose to spite their face.

The IRFU seem to think all you ever need is an internationally capped NIE for a short contract and that's enough, the young lads will come through almost immediately after. Let's call this The Rocky Elsom effect. It comes with absolutely no guarantees.

Again with point 4, if contracts are given out on a position specific basis, who gets to decide which of two provinces, both in search of a centre, say, get to sign one once an agreement is made.

I find this who announcement badly thought out. The Rock effect was so positive the IRFU seem to be getting a bit too sure of themselves. Yes the point of the provinces is to feed the international team, but the provinces have been much more successful than the national team recently and this plan could put that in jeopardy.

I think he might have got a Christmas Card from someone in England when he was young.

He qualifies in the same way Boss does for Ireland

I don't think simply coming to Ireland for University would qualify you actually. Wasn't there a Russian lad who went to university here? He was in the Leinster academy. But he wasn't eligible to play for Ireland because he was only in boarding school here. He didn't live with his parents here so Ireland didn't qualify as his primary residence. I think that was the situation anyway.

HammerofThunor wrote:He qualifies in the same way Boss does for Ireland

Boss has played in Ireland since 2005

Feckless Rogue wrote:I don't think simply coming to Ireland for University would qualify you actually. Wasn't there a Russian lad who went to university here? He was in the Leinster academy. But he wasn't eligible to play for Ireland because he was only in boarding school here. He didn't live with his parents here so Ireland didn't qualify as his primary residence. I think that was the situation anyway.

Vasily Artemyev. Plays for Russia and Northampton.
Was Luke Fitz's mate in Blackrock College. They played schools rugby together. He was in the Leinster Academy but didn't make the cut. Would have been able to play for Ireland had he stuck around but was deemed surplus to requirements..

Has to be permanent address. Not sure if it counts if you're in halls and go home for holidays. CRB checks don't require university addresses.

Boss has played in Ireland since 2005

Fascinating. What's your point? Boss got his first cap in 2006 right? A year after he moved to Ireland. Waldrum hasn't been capped and he's been here since 2010.

Vasyli is not Irish qualified as no amount of time in a country without your parents counts towards your residency time ( i even think that nothing under 18 is considered valid by the IRB. And then he went and played for Russia. So he would have had to play for 3 years with Leinster etc after turning 18.

debaters1 wrote:Vasyli is not Irish qualified as no amount of time in a country without your parents counts towards your residency time ( i even think that nothing under 18 is considered valid by the IRB. And then he went and played for Russia. So he would have had to play for 3 years with Leinster etc after turning 18.

Jenifer McLadyboy wrote:

Feckless Rogue wrote:I don't think simply coming to Ireland for University would qualify you actually. Wasn't there a Russian lad who went to university here? He was in the Leinster academy. But he wasn't eligible to play for Ireland because he was only in boarding school here. He didn't live with his parents here so Ireland didn't qualify as his primary residence. I think that was the situation anyway.

Vasily Artemyev. Plays for Russia and Northampton.
Was Luke Fitz's mate in Blackrock College. They played schools rugby together. He was in the Leinster Academy but didn't make the cut. Would have been able to play for Ireland had he stuck around but was deemed surplus to requirements..

I think we are saying the same thing here boss

In any event. He is Playing for Russia now.

HammerofThunor wrote:Has to be permanent address. Not sure if it counts if you're in halls and go home for holidays. CRB checks don't require university addresses.

Boss has played in Ireland since 2005

Fascinating. What's your point? Boss got his first cap in 2006 right? A year after he moved to Ireland. Waldrum hasn't been capped and he's been here since 2010.

Delighted to have fascinated you old chap.

My point is He is here 7 years and has proved himself. He has not upped sticks and legged it like say.....I dunno Rickey Flutey.

In fairness, I thought Waldrom (Note my ability to spell his name right despite not knowing when he arrived) had only arrived in September.