Wasps v Leinster, Jan 20th - 3:15pm

[Oldschool]

Of course, the UK would become non-Kolpak (and be in a different colour on the map below) in a no deal scenario...but I think that will be on the lower scale of problems.

For England, Wales and Scotland it could be a problem.
For Ireland, how would NI be counted?
The obvious solution would be for them to claim Irish citizen - no problem there I reckon.

UK teams (including Ulster - I think) would, post Brexit, be able to play as many "over-seas" player as they want, whilst UK players in Leinster/Munster/Connacht would face the same rules as the Fardy/KPMG/Lowe 3 into 2 dilemma.

But hey, thats only a guess - sure The Brits haven't a clue what it all means and they are the ones hitting the road.

While Ulster is part of the UK, NI is not so I'm reading a problem or partial problem in your reply.
ie UK players(citizens) in NI would face the same rules as Fardy etc.
Hopefully this won't be used to screw us over in the RWC.

[Barry]

UK teams (including Ulster - I think) would, post Brexit, be able to play as many "over-seas" player as they want, whilst UK players in Leinster/Munster/Connacht would face the same rules as the Fardy/KPMG/Lowe 3 into 2 dilemma.

But hey, thats only a guess - sure The Brits haven't a clue what it all means and they are the ones hitting the road.[/quote]
While Ulster is part of the UK, NI is not so I'm reading a problem or partial problem in your reply.
ie UK players(citizens) in NI would face the same rules as Fardy etc.
Hopefully this won't be used to screw us over in the RWC.[/quote]

While Ulster is part of the UK ?? Good luck explaining that to someone from Donegal, Cavan or Monaghan !!

[Oldschool]

UK teams (including Ulster - I think) would, post Brexit, be able to play as many "over-seas" player as they want, whilst UK players in Leinster/Munster/Connacht would face the same rules as the Fardy/KPMG/Lowe 3 into 2 dilemma.

But hey, thats only a guess - sure The Brits haven't a clue what it all means and they are the ones hitting the road.

While Ulster is part of the UK, NI is not so I'm reading a problem or partial problem in your reply.
ie UK players(citizens) in NI would face the same rules as Fardy etc.
Hopefully this won't be used to screw us over in the RWC.[/quote]

While Ulster is part of the UK ?? Good luck explaining that to someone from Donegal, Cavan or Monaghan !![/quote]
Quotes mucked up by Barry, watch out for broken glass in the greenhouse.

I'm sure you realised it's the other way around but in case you didn't.
While NI is part of the UK Ulster is not.
As you clarified, Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan are not part of the UK.

[bargepole]

Wasps supporter in peace here.

I can assure you that most of us couldn't give a flying foxtrot about the result on Sunday. There will be hordes of Dubliners sliding through the turnstiles, and I'm not talking about fans getting into the Ricoh, but Leinster ball-carriers bursting through the midfield. If I could find a bet on Leinster getting the fourth try bonus point by half time, I'd take it.

Brexit? Nah, nobody inside or outside Parliament has a clue about that either.

[carlow man]

I very much doubt a bp will be in the bag by ht. Can see wasps putting in a big effort to keep it tight. Leinster will up the tempo in second half which is where they tend to finish teams off. Most teams don't have the bench with the ability to provide the impact that Leinster have. Also they are prob the fittest team in Europe and they puts a lot of pressure on oppo to stay with them for 85 maybe 90 mins.

[joooooe]

Of course, the UK would become non-Kolpak (and be in a different colour on the map below) in a no deal scenario...but I think that will be on the lower scale of problems.

For England, Wales and Scotland it could be a problem.
For Ireland, how would NI be counted?
The obvious solution would be for them to claim Irish citizen - no problem there I reckon.

UK teams (including Ulster - I think) would, post Brexit, be able to play as many "over-seas" player as they want, whilst UK players in Leinster/Munster/Connacht would face the same rules as the Fardy/KPMG/Lowe 3 into 2 dilemma.

But hey, thats only a guess - sure The Brits haven't a clue what it all means and they are the ones hitting the road.

The you-can-only-have-two-non-EU-players-in-a-match-day-squad rule is a competition rule that happens to be the same for the Heineken Cup, the Pro 14, the Premiership and the Top 14. Unlike almost everything else, the rule itself won't be affected by Brexit, except that all UK players will be non-EU. Saracens will thus be unaffected as most if their squad is South African. I imagine the competition rules will be amended before UK becomes non-EU.
As for Ulster, the Good Friday Agreement should cover them.

[riocard911]

More moaning from the Poms, this time courtesy of the Grauniad, according to which the larger number of teams in the GP disadvantages the English at the expense of the Irish and the Scots in the Pro 14. Boo-hoo!!!!!

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/ ... ing-europe

[blockhead]

Players spread over 12 teams rather than 4 teams. I heard that a few times in podcasts during the week. Nobody mentioned the population difference between the 2 countries in those or in this article. Obvious conclusion, higher standard of player. Very difficult thing to admit though for the English rugby psyche.

[cormac]

UK teams (including Ulster - I think) would, post Brexit, be able to play as many "over-seas" player as they want, whilst UK players in Leinster/Munster/Connacht would face the same rules as the Fardy/KPMG/Lowe 3 into 2 dilemma.

But hey, thats only a guess - sure The Brits haven't a clue what it all means and they are the ones hitting the road.

The rule in EPCR and Pro14 comps is "two non-Europeans" per matchday squad. This is how "European" is defined by EPCR.

A European player is…

A national of:

1. a Member State of the European Union, or the European Economic Area, or of a state with which the European Community has entered into an agreement that includes directly effective provisions conferring equivalent rights of non-discrimination against that state's nationals within the European Union. Usually, all players except Australians, New Zealanders, and North and South Americans (however, many of these players qualify through points 2 and 4 below).

2. See Cotonou Agreement between EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (78 countries) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotonou_Agreement

3. a state whose national rugby union or federation is a member of Rugby Europe, or

4. has completed 36 consecutive months of residence in the country of the Union which has jurisdiction over his club, or

5. pursuant to Regulation 8 of World Rugby regulation, is eligible to play for the senior fifteen-a-side National Representative Team, the next senior fifteen-a-side National Representative Team or the senior National Representative Sevens Team (as those terms are used in those regulations) of a Union or federation that is a member of Rugby Europe.

[Oldschool]

UK teams (including Ulster - I think) would, post Brexit, be able to play as many "over-seas" player as they want, whilst UK players in Leinster/Munster/Connacht would face the same rules as the Fardy/KPMG/Lowe 3 into 2 dilemma.

But hey, thats only a guess - sure The Brits haven't a clue what it all means and they are the ones hitting the road.

The rule in EPCR and Pro14 comps is "two non-Europeans" per matchday squad. This is how "European" is defined by EPCR.

A European player is…

A national of:

1. a Member State of the European Union, or the European Economic Area, or of a state with which the European Community has entered into an agreement that includes directly effective provisions conferring equivalent rights of non-discrimination against that state's nationals within the European Union. Usually, all players except Australians, New Zealanders, and North and South Americans (however, many of these players qualify through points 2 and 4 below).

2. See Cotonou Agreement between EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (78 countries) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotonou_Agreement

3. a state whose national rugby union or federation is a member of Rugby Europe, or

4. has completed 36 consecutive months of residence in the country of the Union which has jurisdiction over his club, or

5. pursuant to Regulation 8 of World Rugby regulation, is eligible to play for the senior fifteen-a-side National Representative Team, the next senior fifteen-a-side National Representative Team or the senior National Representative Sevens Team (as those terms are used in those regulations) of a Union or federation that is a member of Rugby Europe.

3 probably covers it, sort off. I

[FLIP]

Flags have passed Wasps Health & Safety checks.

[blockhead]

Flags have passed Wasps Health & Safety checks.

In your face Nigel!

[joooooe]

“It’s certainly a tough prospect, facing what is effectively the Irish national team just before the Six Nations. They’ll all be vying to impress to earn the green jersey in the coming weeks and they’ll want to do the job for Leinster.”

That won't go down well in other provinces that like to see themselves as big contributors to the Irish team, such as Ulster and Connacht.

[Oldschool]

“It’s certainly a tough prospect, facing what is effectively the Irish national team just before the Six Nations. They’ll all be vying to impress to earn the green jersey in the coming weeks and they’ll want to do the job for Leinster.”

That won't go down well in other provinces that like to see themselves as big contributors to the Irish team, such as Ulster and Connacht.

Too true.
Exeter and Leicester won't thank him for that comment.

[Dexter]

“It’s certainly a tough prospect, facing what is effectively the Irish national team just before the Six Nations. They’ll all be vying to impress to earn the green jersey in the coming weeks and they’ll want to do the job for Leinster.”

That won't go down well in other provinces that like to see themselves as big contributors to the Irish team, such as Ulster and Connacht.

Christ, is he still whingeing? Give it a rest Dai...

[Jonny tight lips]

Players spread over 12 teams rather than 4 teams. I heard that a few times in podcasts during the week. Nobody mentioned the population difference between the 2 countries in those or in this article. Obvious conclusion, higher standard of player. Very difficult thing to admit though for the English rugby psyche.

Can we leave the whinging about populations to the folks in Shelbyville? The truth is that the provinces are out performing the prem in Europe and the more time they spend crying about the difference the less time they are spending working on closing the gap so leave them off. We don’t have to justify our success to anybody.

[Dave Cahill]

Quinnie has a good article in todays indo on this subject, well worth a read

[bargepole]

“It’s certainly a tough prospect, facing what is effectively the Irish national team just before the Six Nations. They’ll all be vying to impress to earn the green jersey in the coming weeks and they’ll want to do the job for Leinster.”

That won't go down well in other provinces that like to see themselves as big contributors to the Irish team, such as Ulster and Connacht.

Christ, is he still whingeing? Give it a rest Dai...

He's not whingeing, he's just talking up the opposition, exactly the same as every Coach/DoR of every rugby club does every week, everywhere.

Move along please, nothing to see here.

[Angelsea Angst]

Since Racing are now on 26 points and we are on 20 points it is not now possible for us to overtake Racing as second seed. A simple victory over Wasps is all we now need to aim for in order to get 24 points and secure third seed.

[Jonny tight lips]

G