Rugby boss accused of
World Rugby vice-chairman Agustin Pichot has sparked outrage among the home nations by sharing a list of the top international teams and adding what percentage of their squads include players ‘‘not born in their countries’’.
Pichot was voted rugby’s most influential person by the respected Rugby World magazine in August but his tweet posted this week, which features statistics for the top 11 rugby-playing nations, has led to calls for the former Argentina halfback to resign for ‘‘fanning the flames of xenophobia’’.
The 44-year-old’s post lists Scotland (46.3 per cent) on top for having the most ‘‘foreign-born players’’ in their squad for the November tests, while South Africa and Argentina are bottom (both with 0 per cent).
Scotland host Argentina in their final test of the year in Edinburgh on Sunday (NZ time) and some of the anger aimed at Pichot suggested his tweet was a subtle dig at the Scottish team.
Interestingly, New Zealand is listed second from bottom with 12.5 per cent, while Japan (37.1), Italy (29.7), Australia (29.4), England (27.7), Ireland (26.1), Wales (24.3), France (12.9) are ranked from second to eighth.
According to Pichot’s list, England, Ireland and Wales all have about double the number of New Zealand’s players born overseas in their respective squads.
Northern rugby scribes have traditionally criticised the All Blacks for pinching talent from the Pacific Islands, but Stuff revealed last year that England had been the home of poaching in rugby since 2005.
Only four of the initial 32-man All Blacks squad named for their northern tour were born overseas: Nepo Laulala (Apia, Samoa), Ofa Tu’ungafasi (Nukualofa, Tonga), Vaea Fifita (Vavau, Tonga) and Waisake Naholo (Sigatoka, Fiji).
As for Pichot, his offending tweet caused quite a stir and the post had drawn close to 3000 reactions by yesterday.
Twitter users accused Pichot of ‘‘total xenophobia’’ and said he was talking nonsense, pointing out that members of Wales’ squad were factored into their percentage of ‘‘foreign-born players’’ when born in neighbouring England.
Wales winger George North was born in King’s Lynn in England to an English father and a