Five simple rules to ensure the Test game does not die

I WAS brought up to believe that in rugby, representing your country was the highest possible accolade. The use of project players and the like have attacked this ideal.

World Rugby is - or should be - looking into the farce that currently controls the eligibility of players for Test rugby. I think that something on the following lines might achieve an honourable solution.

At present, players’ right of movement of country is only restricted to 1st and 2nd team level - Test team and Saxons in England - I would add U20s to this.

Players would become eligible on any one of the following criteria: 1. Country of birth; 2. Country of either parents’ birth (I would not include grandparents); 3. Any player under the age of 12 would need three years residence; 4. Any player between the ages of 12 and 17 would need four years residency; 5. Any other player would need seven years residency.

The age differentials are so that genuine immigrants can represent their new country at age group level. There should be safeguards incorporated in the rules to ensure that promising players are not uprooted at too young an age.

World Rugby should seek to ensure that it does not recognise any clause in a player’s contract that prohibits them from playing for their country. This would take some time to bed in for existing contracts to run their course.

Enforcement would be difficult but given an adequate back bone, World Rugby would be able to achieve a sensible solution instead of the shameful situation that now governs us.

GEORGE CANSINO via email