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A Citizen Solution to the 'Project Player' Problem

Ireland and Munster backrow CJ Stander.

The new French model is the best way to solve the problem of project players, argues James Harrington.

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World Rugby’s Regulation Eight states that a player may only play for a country’s senior side (or their designated second team or sevens side) if they were born there, one of their parents or grandparents was born there, or they have lived there for 36 consecutive months.

Three years – no greater commitment than the length of a fairly standard player contract. There’s no wonder World Rugby vice-president Agustin Pichot is desperate to set a new mark of five years. The good news is that support is growing.

Players from 20 countries will take part in the 2017 Six Nations, according to official figures. Ten of the players involved were born in New Zealand and nine are South African-born.

The 23 who have qualified on residency grounds include injured Vunipola brothers Mako and Billy, who were born in New Zealand and Australia respectively to Tongan parents, but moved first to the UK as children. Similarly, Tonga-born Taulupe Faletau moved to Wales at the age of seven in 1998. And England captain Dylan Hartley – who was born in New Zealand – qualifies for England both because he has an English mother and on residency, having moved to England in 2002 at the age of 16.

Another is Ireland’s Jamie Heaslip, who was born in Israel when his high-ranking Irish army officer father was stationed there.

None of the above can be legitimately branded ‘Project Players’: talented young stars, often from the southern hemisphere, who serve the one-contract residency then spring fully formed into the international side. Others can.

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Among those who were snapped up for their new country almost as soon as they qualified on residency are England’s Fijian-born Nathan Hughes, who reportedly sat out the 2015 World Cup so he could play for England.

Former South African Under-20 rep CJ Stander, meanwhile, qualified for Ireland the day after the 2015 World Cup final. In January 2016, he was named in Joe Schmidt’s squad for that year’s Six Nations, and made his debut against Wales in the opening match of the tournament.

The Irish Independent has reported that, up to last November’s internationals, almost a quarter of the 25 players who have won their first Irish caps under Schmidt qualified on residency grounds, while another 12% have worn the green shirt thanks to their parentage.

How long are the odds, do you think, that Connacht’s Bundee Aki will get the call as soon as he qualifies in October this year? Or that former New Zealand Under-20 hooker Rhys Marshall, who joined Munster on a three-year deal at the end of last year’s ITM Cup, will don the green shirt?

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As for Scotland, the ink had not yet dried on the Scottish residency qualification of South African Josh Strauss before he was playing in his adopted country’s opening 2015 World Cup match against Japan, while former Springbok Under-20 Cornel Du Preez was selected for last Scotland’s November internationals weeks after he had served his three-year term at Edinburgh, and is in Vern Cotter’s Six Nations’ squad.

No one is breaking any rules here – unlike during the ‘Grannygate’ scandal at the turn of the millennium. And no one is questioning the effort the players put in on the pitch. But the system is being played.

Moves are afoot to make playing international rugby under a flag of convenience more difficult. World Rugby is to vote in May on whether to increase the qualifying period from three to five years, following a consultation with 126 unions.

The plan has the backing of the world’s richest union, the English RFU, which has said it could impose its own five-year residency rule if World Rugby does not in May, while Wales has also backed the plan.

Not every union agrees. Scotland, unsurprisingly, has said it likes the three-year set-up, which it says gives players plenty of time to lay down roots and become acclimatised to their new country; Ireland has maintained a diplomatic silence, saying only that it abides by the rules now and will continue to abide by them in future, whatever they happen to be.

But rugby authorities need to go further, as France’s FFR has done. The union’s still new and crusading president Bernard Laporte announced in December that France will no longer select non-French players for the national side.

Currently uncapped players must be French citizens before they can play for France. To become a citizen, you need to have lived permanently in France for a minimum of five years, demonstrate a reasonable level of spoken and written French and know something of the country’s history and culture.

“We told World Rugby that we had made a decision not to select foreign players even if the regulations allow,” said Laporte, as he announced the decision.

The decision is not retroactive, so current overseas-born French internationals, including Virimi Vakatawa and Scott Spedding, who both have citizenship anyway, and Noa Nakaitaci and Kiwi-born prop Uini Atonio – who have both applied for it – are still available to coach Guy Novès. As would currently out-of-favour players, such as scrum-half Rory Kockott, who has not featured in the France side since the World Cup.

Laporte said: “Our … aim is to favour French players, to play as many French players as possible and be very careful about not impoverishing Fijian, Georgian, Samoa and Tongan federations, otherwise we impoverish standards across international rugby. The aim is to have the maximum number of competitive teams.”

That’s the way forward. Not just three years, and not just a resident. A citizen. There can be few arguments over loyalty after that.

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O
Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 3 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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LONG READ “He’s given Connacht everything” – Bundee Aki’s future, and an exciting tactical innovation “He’s given Connacht everything” – Bundee Aki’s future, and an exciting tactical innovation
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