NZ players overseas
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I always struggle to find a home for posts like the following, which is not really about NH club rugby itself, so I'm starting a thread for news/whereabouts/stories etc about NZ born players, players with NZ nationality, or players with other strong NZ ties (many PI players, or by having played in NZ for some time), who are now playing overseas.
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This article from the Sunday Times Scotland was posted on Twitter today about Robbie Fruean. I hope it's legible.
Anyway, it's mostly about his long rugby journey to where he's now, Edinburgh, and his medical history. What I find interesting is the following:
... while Bath were keen to keep him, Edinburgh won the day by offering a longer contract and supporting his ambition to play for Samoa at the 2019 World Cup. ... Edinburgh have told Fruean they won't stand in the way of his bid to qualify for Samoa, which is likely to mean him playing in at least four Sevens World Series tournaments in the 2018-19 season. The Sevens season runs from December to early June, making this a significant concession. For Wellington-born Fruean, both of whose parents are Samoan, it's about following in the footsteps of his father. "Dad played for them in the '70s before he moved to New Zealand, and I want to earn the jersey he wore. He played 12 as well. ..."I have always admired Fruean for his resilience and for not giving up on rugby after so much adversity. I really hope he'll succeed and can realise his dream of playing for Samoa like his dad.
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@Stargazer why does he have to play 7s? Did he play for NZ A (or JABs or equivalent)? And does the 7s exception still work? (Says parents are Samoa born)
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@booboo said in NZ players overseas:
@Stargazer why does he have to play 7s? Did he play for NZ A (or JABs or equivalent)? And does the 7s exception still work? (Says parents are Samoa born)
Pretty sure he played for the Junior ABs.
No idea about the sevens exception, I thought they were trying to get rid of it, but wasn't it created to comply with the IOC's rules?
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I seriously doubt Fruean can play the RWC 2019 for Samoa. This is why:
The International Olympic Committee's passport rule is part of World Rugby's Regulation 8 (Eligibility to play for national representative teams). That means (I've simplified it) that a player who has represented one country at national senior level (XVs), next senior level (XVs) or in national sevens, can play for another country if he has the nationality of that other country. Several conditions/exceptions apply.
The requirement to have to play at least 4 tournaments of the sevens series was introduced because they feared that this rule would be (ab)used by too many players changing nationality. I assume that requirement is still in place, but I can't find it anywhere.
I'm hoping Fruean and Samoa have, however, spotted this in Regultion 8.7.2:
"The Player may not represent the second Union in any other form of the Game until after he has participated in such Olympic Event."I think that means that Fruean has to participate in the 2020 Olympics first, before he can be eligible for Samoa XVs' side. I may be wrong but to me it seems he can forget about playing for Samoa at the next RWC. It's a pity, because it has been ages ago since he played for the JABs and the JABs have very little significance as a "next senior fifteen-a-side National Representative Team".
Regulation 8 : ELIGIBILITY TO PLAY FOR NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS
World rugby body changes rules to prevent shortcut changes in nationality
Edit: just looked at the definition of "Olympic Event". This definition encompasses "Olympic qualification events". So if Fruean would play for the Samoa 7s team in Olympic qualification events before the 2019 RWC, he could be fine. From memory, the Olympic qualification for Rio was during the 12 months preceding the Olympics. With the RWC being in the year before the Olympics, there may be enough time. Just.
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That is confusing.
I do hope Robbie can switch, hope something works out.
He's a bit unlucky that he was around in the last year before JABs became permafrost for. If you can call being a pro, fringe AB, good enough to make JABs as unlucky. Of course very unlucky with his heart issues.
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@Stargazer said in NZ players overseas:
I seriously doubt Fruean can play the RWC 2019 for Samoa. This is why:
The International Olympic Committee's passport rule is part of World Rugby's Regulation 8 (Eligibility to play for national representative teams). That means (I've simplified it) that a player who has represented one country at national senior level (XVs), next senior level (XVs) or in national sevens, can play for another country if he has the nationality of that other country. Several conditions/exceptions apply.
The requirement to have to play at least 4 tournaments of the sevens series was introduced because they feared that this rule would be (ab)used by too many players changing nationality. I assume that requirement is still in place, but I can't find it anywhere.
I'm hoping Fruean and Samoa have, however, spotted this in Regultion 8.7.2:
"The Player may not represent the second Union in any other form of the Game until after he has participated in such Olympic Event."I think that means that Fruean has to participate in the 2020 Olympics first, before he can be eligible for Samoa XVs' side. I may be wrong but to me it seems he can forget about playing for Samoa at the next RWC. It's a pity, because it has been ages ago since he played for the JABs and the JABs have very little significance as a "next senior fifteen-a-side National Representative Team".
Regulation 8 : ELIGIBILITY TO PLAY FOR NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS
World rugby body changes rules to prevent shortcut changes in nationality
Edit: just looked at the definition of "Olympic Event". This definition encompasses "Olympic qualification events". So if Fruean would play for the Samoa 7s team in Olympic qualification events before the 2019 RWC, he could be fine. From memory, the Olympic qualification for Rio was during the 12 months preceding the Olympics. With the RWC being in the year before the Olympics, there may be enough time. Just.
Your edit's correct. Otherwise TNW wouldn't be eligible to play for Samoa either.
