Is it not as reprehensible to offer that carrot purely because guys ad an Irish background. I don't doubt that there are Irish qualified players now and past who absolutely were Irish and always felt that way (by way of their upbringing or whatever - Kevin Maggs would be a prime example or Kevin Kilbane in soccer)but there are also probably guys who barely knew that they qualified , and then can come straight into the national squad by dint of this - ave they given more than the residency guys, are they more committed to the cause?Peg Leg wrote:Golf Man wrote: This whole ideaof coming straight into a national squad wen you haven't even been in the country before doesn't sit well with me.
Who cares if they've never been there! My Da was a Spanish sailor and therefore I should qualify to play for Spain even though I've never been.
At least the residency guys have to commit to rugby here. I think it needs to be tightened up a bit but its not going away - and tbh it shouldn't - people move around all the time,doesn't mean that can't commit to coutries other than their birth countries
No one said birth countries, but I think you have this the wrong way around. I find it reprehensible that the provincial scouts are poking around training grounds looking to offer someone a provincial contract, with an international cap as a carrot.
I don't think there is a right answer here btw every case is different - you can't blame a young kid moving for rugby especially if there is big money on offer, and its hard to argue the case that a itizen shouldn't qualify to play for that country -> there is an element orace to the bottom though - its happened with football - 12year olds being signed up and families moved etc