World Rugby set to review eligibility rules for international players

World Rugby are poised to alter the three-year residency loophole that allows Ireland naturalise foreign players.

The sport’s governing body have initiated a “root and branch review of Regulation 8” (international eligibility) following clear conflict between executive committee members at their gathering in Dublin last May.

Regulation 8.1(c) states that a player can only represent a national team after “36 consecutive months of residence immediately preceding the time of playing”.

The IRFU has, increasingly, used the rule to strengthen Joe Schmidt's Ireland squad in this current World Cup cycle. It has also become the main outlet for provincial squads to recruit uncapped talent from New Zealand and South Africa.

“Somebody will kill me but we need to change it,” said World Rugby’s vice-chairman Agustín Pichot. “I think it is wrong. It should be for life, like in football. I would understand a five-year [qualification period] and I think that will be on the agenda.”

World Rugby CEO Brett Gosper took a different line when confirming the eligibility issue was pushed down the agenda at last year's biannual council meeting.

“There didn’t seem to be any appetite to change it,” Gosper explained. “There was a consultation with the unions, it was discussed and it was decided it would remain as is.”

However, following World Rugby's appointment of their first ever independents, Wendy Luhabe and Mervyn Davies, to their executive committee a working group has been established to review Regulation 8 "in its totality in order to determine whether the current regulation is fit for purpose".

Pichot’s opposition is unequivocal: “I think it is very important to keep the identity of our national teams. As a cultural thing, as an inspiration to new kids, I think having on your team players who have not lived [for long] in the country they are [representing] I think it’s not right.”

Pichot’s stance brings into question the idea whether rugby union can be viewed as a truly global sport: “There are special cases where players moved when they were 10 or 12 years old but just moving to a country, being taken from an Academy, like they are doing in Tonga, and put into play, say, in an Ireland shirt, I’m against it. I think it is not right. I would love him to play in Tonga and make money playing for Tonga and live well. When I see the national anthem and people not singing it, it confuses me a little bit.

"I don't see in the near future Argentina having players from other countries," added the former Pumas scrumhalf.

On Ireland's recent tour of South Africa, Schmidt selected four players who qualified via Regulation 8 – Jared Payne, CJ Stander, Richardt Strauss and Quinn Roux – while Connacht flanker Jake Heenan is the latest to be available for international selection through residency.

Next season will see another Kiwi trio – Tom McCartney, Bundee Aki and Tyler Blyendaal – potentially strengthen Ireland options at hooker, centre and outhalf.

“Only one player on our team is ineligible to play for Ireland out of our 44 (man squad),” said Pat Lam, at the Champions Cup launch in Dublin yesterday.

Lam was referring to the soon to arrive one cap Sprinbgbok outhalf Marnitz Boshoff.

“The whole residency thing is for World Rugby,” Lam continued. “They are the rules.”

Rules that Connacht and Lam have made impressive use of with 11 of the current squad being Irish qualified, or soon to be, through residency.

Munster coach Rassie Erasmus was this week given permission by the IRFU to strengthen his group with New Zealand-born hooker Rhys Marshall and South African prop Thomas du Toit.

“I think it wouldn’t be great for us,” said Erasmus of a potential change to the three year residency rule. “There are some positions where we would definitely need some back up. I don’t think it [a rule change] will happen in the next year so we will still get some time to develop.”

But such a change of rule, even to five years, would severely hinder the IRFU's current policy of transforming foreign talent into Irish internationals. Particularly in technical positions like hooker and scrumhalf; Marshall's arrival means that all four provinces are utilising Regulation 8 at hooker with Strauss at Leinster, McCartney in Galway and Rob Herring in Ulster.

Leinster also appear to have made an astute signing from New Zealand in scrumhalf Jamison Gibson Park.

All the while the newly appointed underage provincial managers are striving to widen the player base with an emphasis on these key positions.

But Pichot may get his wish before such talent can be unearthed.