Call for World Rugby to change eligibility law

Cup in football, which provides clubs – the smaller ones especially – with the chance of a huge payday. understand. And that’s universal. Whether you are white, black, brown, English, Chinese or Fijian, the colour of the jersey you pull on comes secondary to the needs of your family.

So we need to work out more ways that enable people to come back, later on in their careers, after the ambition to provide financial security for their families has been realised. We need to work out ways that ensure that inclusivity, teamwork, respect and all of the values we hold dear as a sport are being lived out. quickly applied. And it would almost certainly have an immediate impact, both on the quality and growth of our sport. It pains me to think how many quality Pacific Island players have been lost chasing an All Black or Wallaby dream. Players captured through a couple of appearances for an U20s side, 7s team or “A” selection, never to be seen again. Proud Samoan and Cardiff Blues forward Nick Williams comes to mind. A standout player for Ulster and Cardiff over the past seven years, Williams’ four appointments for the Junior All Blacks between 2005-06 have stopped him from ever joining his brother Tim Nanai-Williams and cousin Sonny-Bill on the world stage.

As Nick will attest, there is an education process that is probably lacking here. Players of Pacific heritage are often unaware of the long term ramifications of them playing for these “capture” teams, both on their careers and their countries. And that’s were we as the PRPW Board come into play. By addressing the education inadequacies that surround some of those decisions being made by younger Pacific Island players, hopefully we can turn the tide. But it has to come from us.

Bigger nations have long benefited from illinformed decisions of young Pacific Islanders and we can’t expect that to change. By name, we are Pacific Rugby Players Welfare, but there is much more at stake here than just the welfare of the Pacific Islands. If an issue affects one, it affects us all and lower tier nations from around the rugby world are relying on us to fly their flags as well, developing into a strong voice for reason and change.

Our by-line is ‘Stronger Together’ and we’ll certainly need to stand united if we are to ever have the effect we as players are so desperate for.

It starts by revisiting the eligibility laws. Rugby needs its biggest stars to be present at RWC2019, our sport’s show piece event. And we need the smaller nations to be competitive.” -