Planet Rugby Forum

Former Wales captain Paul Thorburn has lambasted World Rugby over the sport’s eligibility rules, claiming they’ve made a ‘total mockery’ of the international game and turned the World Cup into ‘a circus’.

Thorburn is furious at the rule, declaring “World Rugby should be ashamed of themselves.

“I look at what’s going on in Japan 

“I think the tournament is being brought into disrepute, but I also think the same about the international game generally. The purity of it is being compromised.”

https://www.google.com/amp/s/coupler.fo ... c20ee7d1d7

What an arsehole

CrazyIslander wrote:What an arsehole

That's a superbly accurate bit of self reflection, kudos

I am sure there is a Gareth Thomas joke in there somewhere

If that's his belief, I can't argue. It's getting pretty silly in some team's instances. I couldn't imagine players being locked out completely, but my preference is players at least represent the country they learned the game in. Full pros parachuting into foreign comps and gaining eligibility via residency are the real issue. But in some ways they're helping development of certain unions, in others hampering them.

Hmm- don't remember him as being the "welshest" welshman I ever met.

Only allow Tier 2 Nations to have foreign players and limit the number.

sorCrer wrote:Only allow Tier 2 Nations to have foreign players and limit the number.

No agreed definition of "Tier 2", nor of "foreign".

zzzz wrote:Hmm- don't remember him as being the "welshest" welshman I ever met.

So very true. He boarded at my school in Hereford, England and learnt and played his rugby there from 11 -18.

I don't care for purity, the more competitive teams there are the better as far as I'm concerned and if teams need to use residency then so be it. I would like to see ex All Blacks turn out for the Islands too.

I believe there are gonna be something close to 70 New Zealand born Rugby players at this RWC .

eldanielfire wrote:I believe there are gonna be something close to 70 New Zealand born Rugby players at this RWC .

And yet they still find room to select non NZ born players

BlueThunder wrote:I don't care for purity, the more competitive teams there are the better as far as I'm concerned and if teams need to use residency then so be it. I would like to see ex All Blacks turn out for the Islands too.

Agree. No one gives a shit.

CrazyIslander wrote:

BlueThunder wrote:I don't care for purity, the more competitive teams there are the better as far as I'm concerned and if teams need to use residency then so be it. I would like to see ex All Blacks turn out for the Islands too.

Agree. No one gives a shit.

Not true, Mullet cries himself to sleep about it.

I think a lot of us do care. I want my national team to be represented by people who can credibly be deemed as belonging to and caring about the nation. There are shades of grey and complexity in this which make each individual a separate case to judge, but as a guiding principal I think it serves a purpose. Otherwise what's the point of international competition? Why not just have the best players from every nation put their names in a hat and each year they get picked for a team?

I'd like the grandparent rule to be scrapped. Residency has gone up to 5 years and we'll see how that goes, perhaps it will need to be increased further.

There is certainly a case for those of potential dual nationality to have the option of representing an additional country if a certain length of time passes since their last cap, say 4 years (equivalent to a RWC cycle).

Thorburn complaining about something? the day must end in a Y.

It does kind of ruin it. What is it, a competition to see which rugby nation has the most money? That's shit. It also ruins it for poorer nations like Fiji that would be a fudge-load better otherwise. Qualifying on behalf of a grand-parent or great-grand-parent is utterly ridiculous. Half of Australia could play for someone else. And the 5-year residency rule is shit and easy to rig.

To qualify for some country, you should have to:

a) have lived in that country for at least five years as a non-professional rugby player
b) be a passport holding citizen of that country
c) either be currently living in that country OR have been born in that country

Mog The Almighty wrote:It does kind of ruin it. What is it, a competition to see which rugby nation has the most money? That's shit. It also ruins it for poorer nations like Fiji that would be a fudge-load better otherwise. Qualifying on behalf of a grand-parent or great-grand-parent is utterly ridiculous. Half of Australia could play for someone else. And the 5-year residency rule is shit and easy to rig.

To qualify for some country, you should have to:

a) have lived in that country for at least five years as a non-professional rugby player
b) be a passport holding citizen of that country
c) either be currently living in that country OR have been born in that country

Have a look at c) again and think

sewa wrote:

Mog The Almighty wrote:It does kind of ruin it. What is it, a competition to see which rugby nation has the most money? That's shit. It also ruins it for poorer nations like Fiji that would be a fudge-load better otherwise. Qualifying on behalf of a grand-parent or great-grand-parent is utterly ridiculous. Half of Australia could play for someone else. And the 5-year residency rule is shit and easy to rig.

To qualify for some country, you should have to:

a) have lived in that country for at least five years as a non-professional rugby player
b) be a passport holding citizen of that country
c) either be currently living in that country OR have been born in that country

Have a look at c) again and think

I don't believe a), b) and c) were intended as separate choices.

CrazyIslander wrote:

eldanielfire wrote:I believe there are gonna be something close to 70 New Zealand born Rugby players at this RWC .

And yet they still find room to select non NZ born players

having to be born in a country should be a requirement. Plenty of people are born outside of a country due to parents circumstance. look at mehrts for example. he was born in south africa as his parents ere there at the time.

its the leagues such a france, england and japan that are attreactive to players from other countries is the real bone of contention

MungoMan wrote: I don't believe a), b) and c) were intended as separate choices.

Ah, I didn't read it like that, then its even more ridiculous. You're getting into breaches of employment laws territory

MungoMan wrote:

sewa wrote:

Mog The Almighty wrote:It does kind of ruin it. What is it, a competition to see which rugby nation has the most money? That's shit. It also ruins it for poorer nations like Fiji that would be a fudge-load better otherwise. Qualifying on behalf of a grand-parent or great-grand-parent is utterly ridiculous. Half of Australia could play for someone else. And the 5-year residency rule is shit and easy to rig.

To qualify for some country, you should have to:

a) have lived in that country for at least five years as a non-professional rugby player
b) be a passport holding citizen of that country
c) either be currently living in that country OR have been born in that country

Have a look at c) again and think

I don't believe a), b) and c) were intended as separate choices.

No, they should all apply, A and B and C.

sewa wrote:Ah, I didn't read it like that, then its even more ridiculous. You're getting into breaches of employment laws territory

Really? How so? Not that anybody is going to read this and implement my eminently sensible rules that would be good for the game and the tournament. But anyway... ?

zzzz wrote:Hmm- don't remember him as being the "welshest" welshman I ever met.

When Thorburn has spoken out on this issue in the past he has been criticised by some as he was was born in Germany, with his father in the forces. But both his parents were Welsh and the ex-Neath player once cried during the singing of the Welsh national anthem before a game in Cardiff.

“Of course I’m Welsh,” he says.

“Where I was born is neither here nor there. Because of my father’s career, my family were living abroad at the time of my birth.

“My late mother’s maiden name is Jenkins, while my dad was born and bred in Cardiff, so I am as Welsh as anybody and always have been. Sadly, those who have chosen to play for adopted countries cannot make similar claims.

“My issue is over residence, anyway.

What a wanker. Born in Germany.

These people won't be happy if the residency is increased by 2 or 3 years - because as soon as they see white faces in a Japan kit, their inherent racism comes to the surface and they start using words like mockery, ridiculous and disrepute.

Thorburn is an asshat.

Was he born in Germany? And raised or schooled/college in England, what an idiot.

Different sport but the Welsh football team has almost 50% of their squad from England.

Kid A wrote: What a wanker. Born in Germany.

These people won't be happy if the residency is increased by 2 or 3 years - because as soon as they see white faces in a Japan kit, their inherent racism comes to the surface and they start using words like mockery, ridiculous and disrepute.

Thorburn is an asshat.

Didn't he just fall out of a vagina there tho? Some people just can't help where they are born dude

Guy sounds Welsh as

Mog The Almighty wrote:

sewa wrote:
Ah, I didn't read it like that, then its even more ridiculous. You're getting into breaches of employment laws territory

Really? How so? Not that anybody is going to read this and implement my eminently sensible rules that would be good for the game and the tournament. But anyway... ?

Have a look at article 39 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, then also the Bosman ruling (its only a matter of time / cash before there is a similar case of restraint of trade in rugby)

sewa wrote:

CrazyIslander wrote:

BlueThunder wrote:I don't care for purity, the more competitive teams there are the better as far as I'm concerned and if teams need to use residency then so be it. I would like to see ex All Blacks turn out for the Islands too.

Agree. No one gives a shit.

Not true, Mullet cries himself to sleep about it.

Well you don't support your country so it's not shocking you think a load of lads from anywhere should play for it.

You loser

Mullet 2 wrote:

sewa wrote:

CrazyIslander wrote:

BlueThunder wrote:I don't care for purity, the more competitive teams there are the better as far as I'm concerned and if teams need to use residency then so be it. I would like to see ex All Blacks turn out for the Islands too.

Agree. No one gives a shit.

Not true, Mullet cries himself to sleep about it.

Well you don't support your country so it's not shocking you think a load of lads from anywhere should play for it.

You loser

Stop bleating mate, as Crasy Islander says no one gives a shit

Wales and their wanting to bring down other nations. If you could call Wales a nation.

Take them and us, NZ

Another sorry target for their barbarianism

Comments like this are why NZ lamb is considered the best in the world and Welsh lamb a sorry substitute.

Our road is still steeper.

They only have Katherine Jenkins being hotter than Hayley Westenra to pin their hopes on.

And it is sad to watch.

sewa wrote:

Mullet 2 wrote:

sewa wrote:

CrazyIslander wrote:

BlueThunder wrote:I don't care for purity, the more competitive teams there are the better as far as I'm concerned and if teams need to use residency then so be it. I would like to see ex All Blacks turn out for the Islands too.

Agree. No one gives a shit.

Not true, Mullet cries himself to sleep about it.

Well you don't support your country so it's not shocking you think a load of lads from anywhere should play for it.

You loser

Stop bleating mate, as Crasy Islander says no one gives a shit

Says two lads on an internet forum to a former Welsh international.

You're right, you and the barely thought forming islander are the leaders on this.

Not former internationals and Gus Pichot of Wrold Rugby fame. The rule has already gone to 5 years.

You lost

sewa wrote:

Mog The Almighty wrote:

sewa wrote:
Ah, I didn't read it like that, then its even more ridiculous. You're getting into breaches of employment laws territory

Really? How so? Not that anybody is going to read this and implement my eminently sensible rules that would be good for the game and the tournament. But anyway... ?

Have a look at article 39 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, then also the Bosman ruling (its only a matter of time / cash before there is a similar case of restraint of trade in rugby)

Can that apply to international rugby? It's invitational and not the primary form of employment. Perhaps different for those nations whose Union operates a central contract model.

They will snipe you on that spelling error tho buddy.

sockwithaticket wrote:

sewa wrote: Have a look at article 39 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, then also the Bosman ruling (its only a matter of time / cash before there is a similar case of restraint of trade in rugby)

Can that apply to international rugby? It's invitational and not the primary form of employment. Perhaps different for those nations whose Union operates a central contract model.

Well it would need a test case but in terms of earnings in Ireland the international game is where the real big cash is

sewa wrote:

sockwithaticket wrote:

sewa wrote: Have a look at article 39 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, then also the Bosman ruling (its only a matter of time / cash before there is a similar case of restraint of trade in rugby)

Can that apply to international rugby? It's invitational and not the primary form of employment. Perhaps different for those nations whose Union operates a central contract model.

Well it would need a test case but in terms of earnings in Ireland the international game is where the real big cash is

International employment law and pharmacy,

Your list is going full bimbo

Bosman

Mullet 2 wrote:
Says two lads on an internet forum to a former Welsh international.

You're right, you and the barely thought forming islander are the leaders on this.

Not former internationals and Gus Pichot of Wrold Rugby fame. The rule has already gone to 5 years.

You lost

I am not talking to any former Welsh international as far as I know. As for the rest calm down and use your indoor voice Mullet, we are trying to have a polite conversation here

You "don't care" about the issue so much you can't shut up posting about it.

Lets face it, you know Munster aren't up to producing players from the blackhole of underage talent in your kip of a province and you need the lure of international rugby to attract lads to Limerick rather than the South of France.

Mullet 2 wrote:You "don't care" about the issue so much you can't shut up posting about it.

Lets face it, you know Munster aren't up to producing players from the blackhole of underage talent in your kip of a province and you need the lure of international rugby to attract lads to Limerick rather than the South of France.

Not only was I not talking to a Welsh International I never mentioned Limerick or Munster, but you keep imagining whatever argument it is you think you are having yourself

Dark wrote:Wales and their wanting to bring down other nations. If you could call Wales a nation.

Take them and us, NZ

Another sorry target for their barbarianism

Comments like this are why NZ lamb is considered the best in the world and Welsh lamb a sorry substitute.

Our road is still steeper.

They only have Katherine Jenkins being hotter than Hayley Westenra to pin their hopes on.

And it is sad to watch.

You ok bro?

Where did I say you mentioned them Bimbo?

I'm pointing out why a guy who won't support his own country because he's such a parochial back woodsman would be so invested in the criteria for international selection.

Leaving aside your expert legal opinion that a European Court would find that the Welsh rugly team is the same as Man City and anybody with a visa can play for them.