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World Rugby is on the verge of changing the player eligibility law to 5 years. Rugby’s global governing body is pushing through legislation that will change Regulation 8. A special meeting is scheduled to take place this month in San Francisco with an announcement of new policies expected to follow.
Under Regulation 8.1 (C) a player who has completed thirty six consecutive months of Residence immediately preceding the time of playing qualifies to represent that country. This has seen widespread controversy as leading unions have actively signed uncapped players and nationalized them.
The extent to which this is occurring was highly evident at Rugby World Cup 2015. At that tournament Argentina was the only country with no players born abroad. Quarter Finalists Australia, France, Ireland and Scotland had between 7 and 12 foreign born players each, many of whom qualified via residency.
In 2016 the policy saw many additional players captured under the Regulation 8.1 (C). Dries van Schalkwyk, Braam Steyn and CJ Stander debuted for Italy and Ireland in the Six Nations and the likes of Lopeti Timani, Seta Tamanivalu and Sefanaia Naivalu did so for Australia and New Zealand in the 2016 Rugby Championship.
Also in 2016 it was revealed that Fijian Nathan Hughes turned down playing for Fiji at Rugby World Cup 2015. He did so to instead qualify for England, an arrangement in which he would benefit tremendously financially. The player admitted to doing so for the money.
In the November Internationals France fielded two wingers from Fiji and a fullback from South Africa. Both Australian wingers were also Fijians. All five of these players moved as adults. For England Hughes played against Fiji, to which Beaumont’s deputy, Agustín Pichot, publicly condemned. England also fielded a Fijian winger in the same match.
Midi Olympique has noted an exchange between World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont and French Rugby President Bernard Laporte. Beaumont asked Laporte for his support in pushing through the change from 3 to 5 years. Laporte replied “You have no worries about France, it’s finished that. There will be no more foreigners playing for France. For me, it’s forbidden.”
